ChatGPT answers, unedited

• IA Collaborative - 218 S Wabash Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Highland - 141 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 2200, Chicago, IL 60604
• Solid Digital - 100 N LaSalle St #1400, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures - 6030 S Ellis Ave #2S, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• The Office of Experience, LLC - 980 N Michigan Ave Ste 1090, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Silva Brand, LLC - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd floor, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• FlyDesign - 111 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• ROOT3 Marketing & Business Development - 2035 W Wabansia Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• iD Lab - 243 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

For a university spinout turning research into an investable MVP, I’d look for a shop that can do more than “make a nice website.” The key capability is translating technical/research complexity into a credible product story, then carrying that story consistently across the website, pitch deck, and product/demo.

Based on their current capabilities and Chicago presence, I’d shortlist these:

1. IA Collaborative — strongest fit if the technology is genuinely complex or the product definition is still emerging. They combine user research, strategy, product design and innovation, and their work includes commercialization of a VR teaching/learning platform.

Best for: research → product definition → prototype, particularly deep tech/health/enterprise.

2. TEAMS Design — particularly interesting if the spinout has a physical/connected product, scientific instrument, medical device, or hardware component. Their Chicago team combines industrial design, engineering, digital product strategy, interaction design and brand language.

Best for: hardware + software + commercialization story.

3. Highland — a good option if you need to go beyond the marketing site into an actual digital MVP. Their offering spans product discovery, UX research/design and custom software development.

Best for: “we have promising technology but need to turn it into something users can actually try.”

4. Solid Digital — I'd consider them if the immediate objective is a high-quality B2B/enterprise website that makes a technically sophisticated product understandable and generates leads. Their Chicago practice focuses heavily on B2B websites, UX/UI and technology/SaaS companies.

Best for: website + positioning + conversion, once the product story is reasonably settled.

5. Design In Chicago — attractive if you want a single creative partner covering brand strategy, identity, website, pitch decks, presentations and content. Their published capabilities explicitly include pitch decks and sales presentations alongside web and branding.

Best for: getting the whole external-facing identity coherent quickly.

6. aPitchDeck — I'd use them if the fundraising deck is the critical deliverable and you already have someone handling the website. They're specifically focused on investor communications and pitch decks, including narrative development and visual design.

Best for: turning a scientist/founder's research story into an investor presentation.

7. MNML — worth a look for a spinout with a physical product where brand, product design, visualization and commercialization all need to connect. Their work spans product strategy, industrial design, engineering, branding and digital/marketing applications.

Best for: tangible products and hardware-heavy commercialization.

One particularly relevant example

There's also a useful Chicago precedent from Colleen Arturi's work with Modest, a startup whose technology was still under development. The engagement involved defining the value proposition, mapping the user/investor journey, creating the brand and website, and refining the pitch deck. The resulting work deliberately made a technically complex product understandable before the underlying product was fully mature. Colleen Arturi Brand Strategist

That is quite close to the problem I'd expect a university spinout to have.

How I'd choose

I'd divide the shortlist according to what stage you're actually at:

For this particular use case, I would interview 3–4 firms rather than issue a generic website RFP. Give them the same 2–3 page research/product brief and ask each to show how they'd turn it into:

• a one-sentence product proposition
• a 5–7 page website narrative
• a 10–12 slide investor story
• a clickable MVP/product demo
• a visual identity that makes the research feel like a credible company rather than a university lab
• a plan for validating the story with prospective customers/investors

That exercise will reveal much more than looking at portfolios.

One other Chicago resource worth knowing about is UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures if the spinout is affiliated with the University of Chicago; it specifically works on technology commercialization and university-affiliated startups.

If you tell me what the research is (e.g. biotech, AI, materials, medical device, climate, robotics), whether you already have a brand/product name, and roughly what you want to spend ($15–30k / $30–75k / $75k+), I can narrow this to a 3-shop Chicago shortlist with specific reasons and relevant portfolio examples.

• a one-sentence product proposition
• a 5–7 page website narrative
• a 10–12 slide investor story
• a clickable MVP/product demo
• a visual identity that makes the research feel like a credible company rather than a university lab
• a plan for validating the story with prospective customers/investors

That exercise will reveal much more than looking at portfolios.

One other Chicago resource worth knowing about is UChicagoTech if the spinout is affiliated with the University of Chicago; it specifically works on technology commercialization and university-affiliated startups.

For a university spinout, I’d look less for a “pretty website” shop and more for a partner that can translate deep technical research → credible product story → investor/customer-facing MVP. The ideal team can handle:

• scientific/technical narrative simplification
• positioning and messaging
• brand identity (often needed after leaving the university lab)
• landing page or MVP product site
• interactive demos/prototypes
• investor deck + diagrams/figures
• possibly early product UX

Here are Chicago-area studios I’d shortlist:

Strong fits for research-to-product spinouts

One Design Company

Good fit if the spinout needs strategy + UX + website/product experience, not just visual design. They position themselves around research-driven design, branding, and digital products.

Best for:

• translating complex technology into understandable user journeys
• MVP websites and product experiences
• science/enterprise audiences where credibility matters

Ask them about:

• examples of B2B, deep tech, healthcare, academic, or technical products
• whether they help define messaging before design

Futurehaus

A good option if you need a broader “venture launch partner” that can combine brand, storytelling, digital experiences, and technology execution.

Best for:

• spinouts that need more than a marketing site
• interactive demos or early product experiences
• pitch materials plus digital presence

The Tentmakers

A smaller studio focused on brand identity and product design. Their positioning suggests they work with founders who need both brand systems and product interfaces. The Tentmakers

Best for:

• early-stage teams wanting a hands-on senior design partner
• creating a coherent identity across:

• website
• pitch deck
• product UI
• launch materials

Devolfs

More explicitly startup-oriented, with services spanning positioning, branding, pitch decks, and websites. Devolfs

Best for:

• pre-seed spinouts
• teams that need investor readiness quickly
• founders who need help shaping the story, not only executing visuals

Strong for pitch decks / investor communication

aPitchDeck

A specialized option if the biggest gap is turning technical research into a compelling investor narrative. Their focus is investor presentations and communications.

Best for:

• NSF/NIH/ARPA-style commercialization narratives
• seed fundraising decks
• licensing/corporate partnership decks

Happy Pitch

Focused on investor-grade decks and founder fundraising materials. Happy Pitch

Best for:

• teams that already understand the business model but need sharper investor communication

More full-service brand + web partners

Design In Chicago

A broader agency covering branding, websites, development, content, and pitch/sales materials. Design In Chicago

Best for:

• spinouts that need a complete launch package:

• brand
• website
• collateral
• video/content

ArtVersion Creative Agency

A larger design/development shop with brand, UX, and web capabilities.

Best for:

• university-affiliated ventures that want a polished institutional-to-commercial transition

How I’d run the selection process

For a university spinout, I’d send a short brief and ask each studio for:

1. A 2–3 week discovery sprint

• interview founders/scientists
• define target customer
• create positioning
• outline MVP story
• A launch package

• landing page
• product visuals
• pitch deck
• one-page technical overview
• demo/prototype
• Examples of “translation work”

Ask:

“Show us a project where you turned a technically complex product into something understandable to investors and customers.”

That question will separate true commercialization partners from general web designers.

For a deep-tech, biotech, AI, climate, materials, or university IP spinout, my initial calls would probably be:

1. One Design Company
2. Futurehaus
3. The Tentmakers
4. aPitchDeck (paired with one of the above if needed)

Those combinations cover the two hardest parts: making the science understandable and making the company look investable.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Futurehaus - 125 S Clark St Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• mStoner, Inc. - 500 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• iD Lab - 243 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Eduvantis, LLC - 118 N Clinton St Ste 100-12, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d look for a shop that can do more than make a pretty site: you need someone who can translate technical research into a credible commercial story, define an MVP, and make the same narrative work across the website, demo/prototype, and investor deck.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — my strongest fit for research-heavy spinouts.

They have an unusually relevant combination of science/research communication, higher education, branding, web, and interactive development. Their portfolio includes national labs, scientific collaborations, university programs, and science-facing organizations. That makes them particularly interesting if the underlying technology is difficult to explain to a nontechnical investor or customer.

2. Design In Chicago — good all-around startup launch partner.

They cover strategy, positioning, identity, UX, web development and launch, rather than treating the website as an isolated design exercise. Their process explicitly includes discovery, personas, sitemap/wireframes, high-fidelity design and development.
Best if: you want one partner to turn a rough commercialization story into a polished MVP website and brand.

3. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — strong integrated brand + digital option.

They combine brand strategy, visual identity, UI/UX and web development under one roof, with experience in research/product-development-oriented work.
Best if: the spinout needs to look substantially more mature than its current stage.

4. Futurehaus — interesting for a mission/impact-oriented technology.

Their mix is unusually broad: brand strategy, messaging, pitch/fundraising decks, web and digital experience. They position themselves at the intersection of brand, design and technology.
Best if: you're going from university research → commercialization story → fundraising materials.

5. Glantz Design — worth considering if you want a more strategic boutique.

They're in Evanston rather than Chicago proper, and combine brand identity, UX/UI, websites and presentation design. Their positioning emphasizes research-informed UX and strategy-first design.

6. mStoner, Inc. — particularly relevant if the university relationship is important.

This is the specialist choice for higher-ed communications and web; mStoner is now part of Carnegie Higher Ed and has extensive university experience. I'd consider them more for the institutional/commercialization-facing website than for a scrappy startup brand.

One important wildcard

If the main objective is "we need something investors can see and interact with in 4–8 weeks", I'd also talk to a product-oriented studio rather than a conventional branding agency. Rubik.design specifically markets MVP/product design and Framer websites for Chicago startups, with a 6–8 week stated MVP timeframe. Rubik

And if the pitch deck itself is the immediate bottleneck, aPitchDeck is a Chicago-based specialist focused specifically on investor communications and turning complex stories/data into investor-ready presentations.

How I'd choose

For a university spinout, I'd rank the fits roughly:

My first three calls would be Sandbox, Design In Chicago, and Futurehaus. The differentiator I'd test isn't their visual portfolio—it's whether they can sit with a faculty founder and turn "here's what our research does" into "here's the customer problem, here's the product, here's why now, here's the evidence, and here's what we're asking you to do."

For the engagement, I'd ask for a deliberately integrated package: positioning/messaging → lightweight identity → 5–8 page website → clickable product/MVP prototype → investor pitch deck → core diagrams/graphics. That avoids the common failure mode where the website tells one story and the deck tells another.

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• TBD INNOVATION, LLC - 325 E Center Ave, Lake Bluff, IL 60044, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Millennial Web Development - 329 W 18th St Ste 413, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• EDUCO Web Design - 128 Chicago Ave, Oak Park, IL 60302, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Wojo Design - 318 W Adams St #1609, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

For a university spinout, I would look less for a general web design shop and more for a partner that can translate deep technical research → credible market story → investor/customer-facing product narrative. The ideal team can help with:

• positioning (“what is this technology and why now?”)
• visual identity and trust-building
• MVP website (often Webflow/Framer is enough initially)
• product storytelling and diagrams
• investor pitch deck
• customer discovery collateral (one-pagers, demos, explainer graphics)

My Chicago-area shortlist:

Best fits for a research commercialization / spinout stage

ArtVersion® Creative Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)

Best for: science/technology companies that need strategy + brand + digital execution.

Why I’d consider them:

• They combine brand strategy, UX, web design/development, and research-oriented design work.
• A university spinout often needs help making something technically impressive feel understandable and investable; this is closer to their lane than a pure “make a pretty website” vendor.
• Good candidate if you need a coherent system: website + diagrams + investor materials + brand guidelines.

Ask them: “Have you helped turn technical IP, scientific concepts, or B2B innovations into a market narrative?”

Design In Chicago

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-535-3088)

Best for: a complete early-company brand launch.

Why:

• They position around brand strategy, digital design, development, and content production under one team.
• A good fit if the spinout needs to look like a real company quickly for partners, grants, pilots, or investors.

Potential deliverables:

• naming/positioning
• identity system
• landing page
• pitch visuals
• launch collateral

TBD INNOVATION, LLC

DirectionsWebsite

Best for: research-heavy products, especially hardware, medical devices, deep tech, or complex systems.

Why:

• They explicitly work on product strategy, MVP definition, prototyping, and helping startups connect design strategy to commercialization. Studio TBD
• Their fractional design leadership model could be valuable if the founding team has strong science/engineering but limited product/design experience.

I would especially consider them if the MVP involves:

• physical devices
• diagnostics
• lab technology
• industrial applications
• regulated markets

Strong options for pitch deck + investor storytelling

happy-pitch.com

Best for: fundraising deck refinement.

They focus specifically on investor presentations and founder storytelling. Happy Pitch

I would use them if:

• you already understand the product and market
• you need a sharper fundraising narrative
• the deck is the bottleneck

I would probably not use them alone for a spinout’s first website/brand because they are more pitch-focused.

jointley.com

Best for: a “raise-ready package” (deck + site + early product design).

They describe themselves as a founder-focused 0→1 design studio covering pitch decks, websites, and product design. Jointley

Worth considering if you want one small senior team rather than coordinating multiple vendors.

Good website/MVP-focused choices

cleverbirds.com

Best for: polished startup website execution.

They are a boutique Chicago digital design firm focused on web experiences and startup-oriented processes. Cleverbird Creative

Good if:

• messaging is already mostly solved
• you need a beautiful, credible MVP site quickly

rubik.design

Best for: fast MVP websites and product design iteration.

They focus on startup MVP design, UI/UX, and rapid website/product delivery. Rubik

My suggested shortlist by spinout type

What I would ask in the first call

1. “Can you help us translate academic research into a commercial narrative?”
2. “Can you interview our technical founders and turn the science into customer/investor language?”
3. “Have you designed for B2B, enterprise, healthcare, biotech, or deep tech?”
4. “Will you create the information architecture and messaging, or only execute visuals?”
5. “Can you produce editable Figma/PPT/Webflow assets our team can maintain?”

For a typical university spinout at pre-seed to seed, I would probably interview ArtVersion, Studio TBD, Design In Chicago, and Jointley first. They are the closest match to the “research → company → market credibility” transition rather than just website production. Studio TBD Jointley

If you share the spinout’s field (biotech, AI, materials, robotics, climate, etc.) and stage (pre-formation, licensing, pre-seed, preparing for Series A), I can narrow this to 3–5 best-fit firms and suggest an engagement scope.

• IA Collaborative - 218 S Wabash Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Khoj Lab LLC - Research, Design and Strategy for Innovation - Khoj Lab LLC c/o Guild Row, 3130 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Strategy Here - 345 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Kaplan Institute at Illinois Tech - 3137 S Federal St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• iD Lab - 243 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures - 6030 S Ellis Ave #2S, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• UIC Technology Innovation Lab - (TiLab) - 2242 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60612, United States

I’d shortlist these Chicago options, with different strengths:

• IA Collaborative — best for research → product translation. Strong human-centered research, strategy, prototyping and MVP work; particularly compelling if the technology is technically complex and the product story still needs shaping.
• One Design Company — best all-around boutique. Research-driven branding, web/interactive design and development under one roof—good fit for a university spinout needing both a credible identity and MVP site.
• Design In Chicago — best for brand + website + pitch materials. Explicitly offers positioning, identity, websites, pitch decks and sales presentations. Design In Chicago
• Khoj Lab LLC - Research, Design and Strategy for Innovation — best for an ambiguous early-stage research commercialization problem. Combines research, strategy, design and storytelling rather than treating the job as simply “make us a website.”
• aPitchDeck — best if fundraising materials are the immediate priority. Specializes in investor narratives and decks, with research/GTM support as well.

My first three calls: IA Collaborative, One Design Company, and Design In Chicago. For a research-heavy spinout, I’d prioritize someone who can extract a commercial narrative from the science, not just produce polished visuals.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Futurehaus - 125 S Clark St Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Silva Brand, LLC - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd floor, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Rocket Creative - 717 Rose Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Strategy Here - 345 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Chykalophia - Evanston, IL 60025

For a university spinout translating research into a credible MVP and investor story, I’d prioritize studios that can do more than “make a nice website”: they need to understand technical storytelling, positioning, UX, and ideally pitch/deck design.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — strongest fit for university/science translation

• This would be my first call if the technology comes out of academic research.
• They specifically work with higher education, science, research organizations, and scientific collaborations, and combine strategy, branding, web, and editorial design.
• That makes them unusually well suited to the problem of turning “here's our research” into “here's the product and why anyone should care.”
• Particularly attractive if the spinout needs credibility with both scientists and commercial/investor audiences.
• Design In Chicago — best all-around startup communications partner

• Full-service capability spanning brand strategy, identity, web, content, pitch decks and sales presentations.
• I like this option if you want one team to create the visual identity, website, one-pager and investor deck rather than coordinating multiple specialists.
• Their West Loop location is also convenient if you want an in-person Chicago partner.
• Futurehaus — strong brand + technology combination

• Particularly interesting for a spinout because they sit at the intersection of brand, design and technology.
• Their services include messaging, strategic planning, pitch/fundraising decks, websites, apps and digital platforms.
• I'd shortlist them if the “MVP website” might evolve into an actual interactive product/demo experience rather than remaining a marketing site.
• Dialogue Theory — best for a sophisticated digital MVP

• Their emphasis is on UX/UI, digital products, websites, storytelling and engineering, rather than conventional marketing.
• I'd consider them if the site needs to actually demonstrate the technology or guide users through a product workflow.
• Their focus on accessibility, performance and maintainability is another plus for a university-originated product that may need to mature quickly.
• Silva Brand, LLC — good if positioning/storytelling is the main problem

• They combine strategy, messaging, design, digital experiences and investor materials/pitch decks.
• This could be a particularly good fit if the scientific team has strong technology but hasn't yet figured out the commercial narrative: What exactly are we selling? To whom? Why now? Why us?

A specialist I'd also talk to

aPitchDeck is worth considering specifically for the investor side. They're focused on turning complicated stories and data into investor-ready decks, rather than being a general-purpose web agency.

There's also a particularly relevant Chicago example from Bossa Design Studio: they worked with neurotechnology startup Afference on a Series A deck, taking highly technical research and turning it into a concise investor narrative, then extending that thinking into the website. Bossa Design Studio That's very close to the problem you're describing.

My ranking for your particular use case

I'd actually interview 3 studios rather than choosing from portfolios alone. Give each the same 1-page brief: university-originated technology → first commercial use case → target customer → current prototype/research → fundraising milestone. Ask them to explain how they'd turn that into (1) a 5–7 page MVP site, (2) a 10–15 slide investor deck, and (3) a compelling product demo/story.

One especially useful benchmark is Jointley: although not necessarily the first Chicago-local choice, its model is almost exactly this workflow—pitch deck + landing page first, followed by product design and engineering. jointley.com

If you tell me what kind of university spinout it is (biotech, deep tech, AI, materials, climate, medtech, etc.) and whether you're pre-seed or already fundraising, I can narrow this to the 3 Chicago firms I'd actually send an RFP to, including relevant case studies and likely engagement models.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Futurehaus - 125 S Clark St Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Pivot Design - 321 N Clark St #600, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Rocket Creative - 717 Rose Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047
• Strategy Here - 345 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Silva Brand, LLC - 211 W Wacker Dr 3rd floor, Chicago, IL 60606, United States

For a university spinout turning research into a first commercial story, I’d prioritize studios that understand both technical/scientific communication and the transition from research → product → investor narrative. I’d shortlist these:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — strongest university/science fit

• Particularly interesting if the technology is still close to its academic origins.
• Their work spans science/research organizations, higher education, branding, web, and interactive design, so they understand how to make complicated research legible without making it feel like a generic startup.
• I'd ask them to help with the research-to-product positioning, website architecture, and visual system. Petri
• Design In Chicago — good all-around MVP partner

• More conventional startup/brand agency, but useful if you want one team to take you through strategy → brand → website → launch.
• Their process includes positioning, UX, wireframes, web development, CMS, and brand systems.
• Good candidate if the MVP site needs to be genuinely functional rather than just a polished landing page.
• TXI — best if “MVP website” really means a product

• I'd look here if the website needs actual user workflows, software, a prototype, data interaction, or customer testing, rather than being primarily a marketing site.
• They combine product discovery, user research, rapid prototyping, UX and engineering.
• They may be more substantial than you need for a simple investor-facing website.
• Futurehaus — strong brand + digital combination

• Their sweet spot is the intersection of brand, design and technology, including websites/digital platforms and fundraising/pitch materials.
• Worth considering if you need to establish a credible company identity at the same time as you build the site.
• aPitchDeck — excellent specialist for the investor story

• If the deck is the highest-stakes deliverable, I'd consider bringing them in specifically for the investor narrative and pitch deck, rather than asking a web agency to treat the deck as an afterthought.
• They specialize in turning complex stories/data into investor-ready presentations.

One important caveat: Chicago vs. life-science specialization

For a biotech/medtech/scientific spinout, I'd actually widen the search beyond Chicago proper. There are several specialist studios whose portfolios are unusually well matched to this exact problem.

• Petri / Image Conscious Studios is almost tailor-made for this stage: brand + lightweight website + investor/business-development decks, specifically for early biotech companies. Their stated model is designed around getting a young company from stealth to launch quickly. Petri
• Mesa Marketing is another particularly strong fit. They explicitly position themselves around translating hard science into a story the market believes, with brand, website, deck and strategy bundled together. Their portfolio includes gene therapy, organoid, medical-device and biomedical-software companies. Mesa Marketing Mesa Marketing
• Radian specializes in biotech and offers brand/messaging, investor materials, websites and scientific storytelling. They even have a design-grant program for qualifying early-stage biotech teams. Radian Radian
• Glantz is worth a look if you're in biotech/healthtech and want a more established Chicago-area design partner. Their Stemloop case study is particularly relevant: they developed the biotech brand and then translated it into an investor pitch, with the deck also informing the website story. Glantz

My recommendation

I'd probably run a 3-way pitch process:

If this is biotech/medtech, I'd start with Mesa + Petri + Sandbox/Glantz.
If it's AI/software/materials/engineering rather than life sciences, I'd lean Sandbox + TXI + Futurehaus.

The key thing I'd put in the RFP is not "design us a website and pitch deck." I'd ask for a research-to-product commercialization narrative first, followed by:

• positioning / value proposition
• target-user and buyer hierarchy
• MVP website information architecture
• visual identity
• investor pitch deck
• 1-page/company overview
• scientific/product diagrams
• website design + build
• editable presentation/brand assets
• a system the founding team can maintain after the engagement

That distinction matters enormously for a university spinout: you want the studio to help translate the scientific insight into a reason someone should buy/fund/adopt the resulting product, rather than simply making the university research look prettier.

The key thing I'd put in the RFP is not "design us a website and pitch deck." I'd ask for a research-to-product commercialization narrative first, followed by:

• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• IDEO Chicago - 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Eight Bit Studios - 1 E Erie St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Beyond Design - 4515 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
• SO Dsgn - 1719 S Clinton St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Next Sketch - Chicago, IL 60642
• Streng - Chicago - 220 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607
• Strategy Here - 345 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• product council - 5547 N Ravenswood Ave Unit 406, Chicago, IL 60640, United States

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d prioritize firms that can translate technically sophisticated research into a credible product story—not just make a beautiful website.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. One Design Company — probably my first call

• Strong fit if you need strategy → positioning → brand → website → build in one engagement.
• Their approach is explicitly research- and human-centered, and they emphasize discovery before translating the work into identity and digital experiences.
• Best for: a research-heavy technology where the challenge is figuring out what the company should say, not merely making slides look good.
• IDEO Chicago — best for genuinely novel technology

• Particularly attractive if the spinout is still figuring out the product, customer, or experience.
• IDEO combines product/service design, venture work, prototyping, and brand/communication design.
• Best for: deep-tech, healthcare, climate, hardware, or technologies where user needs and product definition still need substantial work.
• I'd expect it to be the more expensive/strategic option.
• Eight Bit Studios — best if the “MVP” actually needs to work

• They focus on product strategy, MVP definition, and production-grade software, with a startup/founder orientation.
• Best for: a spinout that needs a functioning web/software MVP alongside the marketing site, rather than just a clickable concept.
• Design In Chicago — good all-in-one option

• Covers brand strategy, identity, web design/development, content, video, and presentation-oriented creative work.
• Best for: wanting one relatively broad creative partner to produce the website, visual identity, product visuals, and launch collateral.
• MNML — if this is a physical/connected product

• Much more compelling if the university technology ultimately becomes a physical product, device, medical product, or hardware/software system.
• Their capabilities span industrial design, engineering, brand, UX, and product development.

A couple of smaller, startup-specific options

Jointley is especially interesting for the exact deliverables you described. They position themselves as a 0→1 studio for founders and explicitly offer pitch decks, branding, product design, websites, and engineering. They also advertise a seven-day “raise-ready” sprint combining an investor deck and landing page. Jointley

jointley.com

The Tentmakers is another intriguing Chicago option if you want a cohesive brand/product system rather than a conventional agency. They explicitly combine brand identity, product UI, websites, design systems, and investor decks. The Tentmakers

thetentmkrs.com

And if the pitch materials are the urgent part, Happy Pitch is worth considering as a specialist rather than your primary product-design partner. They focus specifically on investor decks and report having worked with 350+ clients. Happy Pitch

happy-pitch.com

How I'd choose

For a typical university spinout, I'd probably interview One Design, Jointley, and IDEO first:

One particularly important distinction: don't hire a conventional branding agency if what you actually need is product definition. A university spinout often has the opposite problem from a normal startup—the technology is ahead of the market narrative. I'd want the design partner to spend meaningful time turning the research into a customer problem → product mechanism → evidence → value proposition → MVP → investor story, with the website and pitch deck emerging from the same underlying narrative.

If you tell me what the spinout does (e.g. biotech, AI, materials, climate, medical device, robotics) and roughly how much you're looking to spend ($15–30k, $30–75k, $75k+), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms I'd actually approach and what I'd ask each one to quote.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• IDEO Chicago - 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Beyond Design, Inc. - 3759 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• product council - 5547 N Ravenswood Ave Unit 406, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Beyond Design - 4515 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Streng - Chicago - 220 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60607
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Pivot Design - 321 N Clark St #600, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• CHOI Design Group - 852 N California Ave C1, Chicago, IL 60622, United States

Yes. For a university spinout moving from research → commercial story → MVP website → fundraising, I’d favor studios that understand technical/scientific narratives rather than a generic Chicago web agency.

My shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — best fit for university/research context

• Particularly interesting because they work with higher education, science and research organizations, including university programs and scientific collaborations.
• They combine strategy, branding, web/UI and development.
• I’d consider them if the spinout still has a strong academic/research identity and needs to translate that credibility into a commercial story.
• IDEO Chicago — best for figuring out the product, not just the website

• Strong choice if the underlying challenge is still “what exactly are we commercializing, for whom, and what should the MVP demonstrate?”
• Their Chicago studio covers human-centered strategy, product/service design and brand/communication work.
• Potential downside: likely more substantial/expensive than you need for a simple investor site and deck.
• TXI — best if the MVP itself is a functional digital product

• I'd look here if “website” actually means a working software MVP/prototype, not just a marketing site.
• They combine product discovery, user research, rapid prototyping, UX and software development.
• Design In Chicago — best one-stop local option

• Their capabilities line up unusually well with your request: brand strategy, identity, website, UI, pitch decks, sales presentations, one-pagers and illustration.
• Worth talking to if you want one team to take the spinout from rough positioning through a polished web/deck package.
• Jayne Agency, LLC — best for positioning/story

• I'd consider them when the biggest problem is making the research commercially legible: what problem, why this technology, why now, why this team, and why this market.
• Their work spans brand strategy, UX research, storytelling and pitch development.
• aPitchDeck — best specialist for the fundraising deck

• If the website is relatively straightforward but the investor narrative/deck is mission-critical, this is worth considering as a specialist rather than asking a web agency to do everything.
• They focus specifically on turning complex stories/data into investor-ready presentations.

One important wrinkle: I'd also look beyond Chicago

For a life-science/biotech spinout, there are some specialist studios that may actually be a better fit than a general Chicago agency.

Glantz is especially compelling. They have a Chicago/Evanston presence and a documented case with Stemloop, a bioscience startup: they developed the brand identity, positioning and investor pitch, with the pitch then providing the narrative foundation for the website. That's almost exactly the research-to-product transition you're describing. Glantz

Radian is another very strong fit for biotech. Their offering explicitly connects science → market narrative → brand → website → pitch deck, and they describe their specialty as helping biotech companies through milestones from stealth/seed onward. Radian

Venture Shape is similarly specialized in biotech and focuses on investor-grade scientific communication, websites and pitch decks. Venture Shape

And Mesa Marketing is worth a look if this is hard science/medtech: they explicitly package brand + web + deck + strategic messaging for founders commercializing science. Mesa Marketing

My ranking for a typical university spinout

If you told me, “We have promising university research, a founding team, maybe an early license/IP position, and need a credible MVP site plus a seed/venture deck,” I'd approach these first:

The key is that I wouldn't commission “a website and pitch deck” as two isolated deliverables. I'd commission a short commercialization/story sprint first: positioning → target user/buyer → value proposition → evidence hierarchy → visual language → investor narrative. Then have the website and deck emerge from that same system.

If you tell me what kind of spinout it is (biotech, medtech, AI/software, materials, climate, etc.), its stage, and roughly what budget you're considering ($10–25k, $25–50k, $50k+), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago-area firms and explain exactly what I'd ask each to quote.

• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Futurehaus - 125 S Clark St Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Presentora Designs - 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• SO Dsgn - 1719 S Clinton St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Nicer Collaborative: A Creative Studio - 1361 N Ashland Ave Storefront, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Design B&B - 833 W Jackson Blvd Fl 7, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ConceptDrop - 17 E Monroe St Ste 202, Chicago, IL 60603, United States

For a university spinout moving from research → product → first customers/investors, I would prioritize studios that can do more than make things look polished. You want a partner who can help translate:

scientific insight → market narrative → product experience → investor/customer confidence

The best fit is usually a small senior team with startup, UX, storytelling, and technical-product experience.

Here are Chicago-area shops I’d shortlist:

Best overall fits for a research-to-product spinout

ArtVersion® Creative Agency

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)

Best for: brand + website + UX system + credibility-building materials

Why I’d consider them:

• Strong overlap with the needs of a deep-tech or university-origin company: positioning, UX, web, brand systems, and digital experiences.
• Better fit than a pure marketing agency if you need to explain a complex technology clearly.

Good engagement:

• Brand positioning workshop
• Founder story / technology narrative
• MVP website
• Product UI direction
• Investor/customer collateral

MNML

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-733-8400)

Best for: hardware, biotech devices, robotics, physical products, or research that becomes a tangible product

Why:

• MNML is a product design and engineering-oriented studio, not just a branding shop.
• Useful if the spinout needs industrial design, prototyping, or translating lab technology into something customers can understand.

Good engagement:

• Product concept refinement
• Prototype storytelling
• Product visualization
• Brand + launch assets

Futurehaus

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-985-6537)

Best for: mission-driven, science-driven, institutional, or impact-oriented ventures

Why:

• They combine brand identity, digital experiences, storytelling, and fundraising communications. Futurehaus
• A good match when the challenge is making breakthrough research understandable to non-experts.

Good engagement:

• Narrative architecture
• Website
• Pitch deck
• Explainer content

Best for investor pitch decks + fundraising narrative

VerdanaBold Presentation Design

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-682-8989)

Best for: turning technical material into investor-ready slides

Why:

• Presentation-focused specialists are often better than general designers for a fundraising deck.
• Particularly useful when founders have strong science but weak investor communication.

Good engagement:

• Seed/Series A deck redesign
• Technical diagrams
• Data visualization
• Executive presentations

aPitchDeck

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-772-4247)

Best for: investor storytelling and fundraising materials

Why:

• Focused specifically on investor communications and pitch decks.

Good engagement:

• Investor narrative
• Slide architecture
• Market/problem framing
• Fundraising materials

Best startup-oriented “all-in-one” options

Jointley

Best for: 0→1 startups needing deck + site + product design together

Why:

• Their positioning is explicitly around founder-stage companies: pitch decks, websites, branding, and product design. Jointley
• Worth considering if the university spinout is pre-seed and needs a coherent first impression quickly.

Rubik.design

Best for: fast MVP websites and early product interfaces

Why:

• They focus on startup MVP design, UI/UX, and launch-ready websites. Rubik

Good engagement:

• Landing page
• Prototype
• Product UX
• Early customer validation materials

My suggested shortlist by spinout type

What I would ask them for (important)

Avoid commissioning “a website redesign.” For a university spinout, the highest-value first project is usually a venture launch package:

1. Positioning sprint

• What is the breakthrough?
• Who has the urgent problem?
• Why now?
• Why this team?
• Investor/customer website

• Homepage
• Technology explanation
• Team credibility
• Use cases
• Contact/demo funnel
• Pitch system

• 12–15 slide investor deck
• Technical appendix
• One-page summary
• Product visuals
• MVP UX

• Core user workflow
• Prototype screens
• Design system

For a university spinout, I would probably interview 3 firms:

• one product/UX-heavy shop,
• one pitch/storytelling specialist,
• one brand/web studio,

and pick the team that best understands the technology after a 60-minute conversation, not the one with the flashiest portfolio.

If you share the spinout’s field (AI, biotech, materials, med device, robotics, etc.), stage (pre-incorporation, pre-seed, funded), and whether the MVP is software or hardware, I can narrow this to 3–5 strongest candidates.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Alpha Efficiency - Web Design Chicago Agency - 875 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Chykalophia - 929 Michigan Ave Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States

Yes. For a university spinout turning research into a credible commercial product, I’d bias toward studios that can do more than make a pretty website: they should be able to translate technical research into a simple value proposition, create investor-grade storytelling, and design an MVP/marketing site that can evolve with the product.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — best fit for university/science translation

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-525-9258)

This is probably the most interesting fit if the underlying technology is genuinely research-heavy. Sandbox explicitly works with higher education, science and research organizations, including national labs and university programs, and combines strategy, branding, interactive/web, and development.

Why I'd talk to them: They should be unusually comfortable with the problem of taking something scientifically sophisticated and making it understandable without dumbing it down.

Best for: research → narrative → brand → website, particularly if credibility with scientists, institutions, or technical buyers matters.

2. One Design Company — best all-around product/brand partner

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-602-3335)

One Design Company is particularly compelling if you want strategy + brand + digital product design + development under one roof. Their positioning is explicitly research-driven and user-centered, spanning brand positioning, identity, websites and applications.

Why I'd talk to them: A spinout often doesn't yet know whether it needs a corporate website, product prototype, or product-market story. A strategy/design firm like this can help determine what the MVP actually needs.

Best for: a spinout where the product itself is digital or has a substantial software/interface component.

3. MNML — if this is a physical/scientific product

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-733-8400)

I'd move MNML way up the list if the spinout involves hardware, instrumentation, medical devices, consumer products, or anything physical. They're a multidisciplinary design/engineering studio covering product design, engineering, UX, branding, prototyping and manufacturing relationships. Their work also includes technology products and a partnership with Chicago's mHUB.

Best for: turning university IP into an actual product, not merely an MVP website.

4. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — strong integrated brand + web option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)

ArtVersion combines brand strategy, visual design, UI/UX and in-house web development. The Chicago operation is also positioned around research and product development.

Best for: a more established-looking company presence where the website needs to serve customers, partners and investors simultaneously.

5. aPitchDeck — excellent specialist to add for fundraising materials

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-772-4247)

If the pitch deck is a major deliverable, I'd consider bringing in a specialist rather than asking a general web agency to do it. aPitchDeck is Chicago-based and focuses specifically on turning complex stories/data into investor-ready presentations.

I could see a good combination being Sandbox or One Design for the brand/site + aPitchDeck for the fundraising narrative/deck.

6. Design In Chicago — good single-vendor alternative

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-535-3088)

They cover brand strategy, identity, web/app development, marketing and content production.

I'd consider them if you want one team to handle essentially everything, rather than assembling specialists.

One non-obvious option I'd investigate: The Tentmakers

thetentmkrs.com is particularly interesting for a very early-stage spinout because its model explicitly combines brand design and product design. It talks about building identity, interfaces, design systems, decks and marketing sites as one coherent system, including investor-deck and product UI applications. The Tentmakers

That maps unusually well to the situation you're describing: "we have promising technology and need to turn it into something investors/customers can understand and interact with."

Another strong startup-specific option: Jointley

jointley.com is perhaps the most directly aligned with the fundraising + MVP combination. They explicitly offer pitch decks, branding, product design, websites and engineering, and have a "Raise-Ready Sprint" combining an investor deck and landing page. Jointley

I'd seriously consider them if the immediate objective is "we need something impressive enough to raise the first round and validate the concept," rather than building a mature corporate identity.

My ranking for your specific use case

What I'd actually ask them to scope

I wouldn't approach this as "we need a website and pitch deck." I'd frame the engagement as a 4–8 week research-to-market design sprint with roughly:

1. Technology/story discovery — interview founders, researchers and potential customers.
2. Positioning — what problem does the technology solve, for whom, and why now?
3. Product narrative — turn the research into a simple commercial story.
4. Visual identity — enough brand system to look credible, but not a six-month branding exercise.
5. Clickable MVP/prototype — something investors and prospective customers can actually experience.
6. Marketing site — ideally with the prototype/product story integrated.
7. Investor deck — same narrative and visual language as the site.
8. Reusable system — Figma/design system, slide templates, diagrams and technical-illustration conventions so the university team can continue without starting over.

One particularly useful precedent is a Chicago tech branding project documented by designer Colleen Arturi: the startup had complex technology that wasn't yet fully developed, and the engagement focused on value proposition, investor/customer journey, brand story, website and pitch-deck refinement. Colleen Arturi Brand Strategist That's very close to the problem I'd want the selected studio to demonstrate they can solve.

If you tell me what kind of university technology this is (e.g. biotech/medtech, climate, materials, AI/software, robotics, scientific instrumentation) and roughly the budget you're considering ($20–50k, $50–100k, $100k+), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms I'd actually interview and give you a suggested RFP/interview scorecard.

4. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — strong integrated brand + web option

ArtVersion combines brand strategy, visual design, UI/UX and in-house web development. The Chicago operation is also positioned around research and product development.

Best for: a more established-looking company presence where the website needs to serve customers, partners and investors simultaneously.

5. aPitchDeck — excellent specialist to add for fundraising materials

If the pitch deck is a major deliverable, I'd consider bringing in a specialist rather than asking a general web agency to do it. aPitchDeck is Chicago-based and focuses specifically on turning complex stories/data into investor-ready presentations.

I could see a good combination being Sandbox or One Design for the brand/site + aPitchDeck for the fundraising narrative/deck.

6. Design In Chicago — good single-vendor alternative

They cover brand strategy, identity, web/app development, marketing and content production.

I'd consider them if you want one team to handle essentially everything, rather than assembling specialists.

One non-obvious option I'd investigate: The Tentmakers

thetentmkrs.com is particularly interesting for a very early-stage spinout because its model explicitly combines brand design and product design. It talks about building identity, interfaces, design systems, decks and marketing sites as one coherent system, including investor-deck and product UI applications. The Tentmakers

That maps unusually well to the situation you're describing: "we have promising technology and need to turn it into something investors/customers can understand and interact with."

Another strong startup-specific option: Jointley

jointley.com is perhaps the most directly aligned with the fundraising + MVP combination. They explicitly offer pitch decks, branding, product design, websites and engineering, and have a "Raise-Ready Sprint" combining an investor deck and landing page. Jointley

I'd seriously consider them if the immediate objective is "we need something impressive enough to raise the first round and validate the concept," rather than building a mature corporate identity.

My ranking for your specific use case

What I'd actually ask them to scope

I wouldn't approach this as "we need a website and pitch deck." I'd frame the engagement as a 4–8 week research-to-market design sprint with roughly:

• aPitchDeck - 333 W Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Firebelly Design - 1402 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Someoddpilot - 2141 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60647, United States
• Humanscale - 345 N Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Cultivate by Forbidden Root - 4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Mekanism Chicago - 950 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Strategy Here - 345 N La Salle Dr, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• SO Dsgn - 1719 S Clinton St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• IDEO Chicago - 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Beyond Design - 4515 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States

Yes. For a university spinout translating technical research into a credible commercial story, I’d prioritize studios that can do more than make things look polished: you want someone who can simplify the science, define the product narrative, design an MVP experience, and make the website and deck feel like one coherent company.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. aPitchDeck — best if fundraising is the immediate priority. They specialize specifically in investor decks and communications, including turning complex data/stories into investor-ready narratives. I’d consider them if you already have reasonably clear positioning but need a much stronger fundraising story.
2. Firebelly Design — best overall fit for a university/mission-driven spinout. They combine research, strategy, brand, UX, web development, content, and pitch materials, and notably have worked with University of Chicago, Northwestern University, healthcare, education and other complex organizations. Their research/workshop orientation is particularly attractive when the technology is sophisticated and the customer/problem still needs definition.
3. Design In Chicago — good pragmatic all-in-one option. They combine brand strategy, web/digital, marketing collateral, pitch decks and presentations. I'd talk to them if you want one team to take you from an early identity through a relatively straightforward MVP website and fundraising collateral.
4. TEAMS Design — especially interesting if the spinout has a physical product, device, instrument, or deep-tech component. Their Chicago practice combines product/industrial design, engineering, UX research, digital prototyping and product storytelling. That's a stronger fit than a conventional branding shop if the "product" itself needs to be figured out alongside the website.
5. MNML — another strong candidate for deep-tech/physical-product commercialization. They work across product design, engineering, UX, brand and manufacturing-oriented development, including startup work and Chicago's mHUB ecosystem.
6. Someoddpilot — I'd consider them when the technology is solid but you need a memorable brand and differentiated market story. They're a senior-led Chicago creative agency with experience in brand strategy, launches, digital and campaigns. Probably less "university commercialization specialist" and more "make this company feel like a real category-defining brand."

A couple of smaller/specialist options

• DROY Studio — unusually aligned with the specific problem of translating complex technical ideas into fundable stories; they offer branding, pitch decks, consulting and websites, with sites positioned to launch quickly. DROY Studio
• The Tentmakers — interesting if you want brand + product UI + website + deck from one relatively small studio. Their positioning explicitly covers founders, product interfaces, marketing sites and investor decks. The Tentmakers
• Visionima — worth investigating for a very early spinout because their 0→1 offering spans positioning, product/UX, narrative, pitch deck, prototype, website and go-to-market thinking. Visionima
• Eertmoed Studio — a smaller option combining brand strategy, Framer/web, UI/UX and pitch decks; potentially attractive if you want a more hands-on boutique relationship. Eertmoed Studio

How I'd narrow it down

For a research → product MVP → seed/Series A story, I'd probably interview Firebelly, DROY, TEAMS/MNML (if hardware/deep tech), and aPitchDeck.

The key question I'd ask each is:

"Can you take a university-originated technology whose commercial application is still being crystallized, help us articulate the customer/problem/value proposition, create an MVP-level product experience, and turn that same narrative into a website and investor deck?"

That's a much better screening question than simply asking for "branding and web design."

I'd also ask to see one example where they had to simplify technically complex or research-heavy material for a nontechnical audience. That's the capability I'd value most here.

If you tell me what the spinout does (e.g. biotech, AI, materials, medtech, climate, robotics), current stage, and approximate budget, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms and tell you exactly why I'd pick each, what I'd ask them to deliver, and what I think a reasonable MVP/deck budget is.

• One Design Company - 230 W Superior St #700, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Chykalophia - 929 Michigan Ave Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• iD Lab - 243 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• LOWERCASE - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures - 6030 S Ellis Ave #2S, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Hatch Product Development - Chicago, IL 60622

Yes. For a university research spinout, I’d look for a shop that can do more than make a pretty website: you need someone who can translate technical/IP-heavy research into a credible commercial story, create an MVP web presence, and make the founders look investable.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. One Design Company — probably my first call

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-602-3335)

This is particularly interesting for a research-to-product company because they combine research/strategy, positioning, web/application design, UX, and technology rather than treating the website as a standalone marketing exercise.

Why I'd consider them: A university spinout often has the problem of "we have impressive science, but how do we explain why anyone should care?" Their strategy-led approach seems well suited to that translation.

Best fit: Research → positioning → MVP website → product story.

2. Dialogue Theory — strongest for a research-heavy/complex story

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 617-922-3790)

Dialogue Theory combines digital strategy, UX/UI, web development and research-oriented discovery. That makes them attractive if the underlying technology is complicated and the website needs to communicate it to several audiences—investors, industry partners, customers, and scientific/technical stakeholders.

Best fit: Deep-tech, health-tech, scientific software, or anything where information architecture and storytelling matter more than flashy branding.

3. Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding — good integrated startup package

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-741-0303)

Brand Vision offers brand strategy, positioning, visual identity, website design/development and SEO, so they could handle the transition from academic project to recognizable company. Their public positioning specifically discusses early-stage companies and aligning the pitch and website around the same story. Brand Vision

Best fit: You need the whole "turn this lab project into a company" package rather than just UX.

4. Sandstorm Design — especially compelling for health/science

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-348-4200)

Sandstorm is a Chicago UX/digital-experience firm with an explicitly research-driven approach, including brand strategy, messaging, UX research, digital design and accessibility.

I'd put them high on the list if the spinout is healthcare, medical, public-sector, education, or another domain where credibility and user research matter.

Best fit: Research-intensive product + sophisticated website/user experience.

5. TEAMS Design — if the "product" is actually hardware

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-733-5063)

This is the one I'd investigate if you're commercializing a physical technology rather than primarily software. Their Chicago operation spans industrial design, engineering, UX/digital design, prototyping and product development.

Best fit: University invention → physical product → prototype → brand/product story → digital experience.

6. MNML — premium option for a hardware/deep-tech venture

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-733-8400)

MNML is another strong option when the research is becoming a physical product. Their capabilities cover strategy, industrial design, brand, visualization and engineering, with work spanning product design through engineering and manufacturing.

I'd consider them if the objective is not merely an MVP website but establishing a serious product/company identity around a novel technology.

For the pitch deck specifically

I'd also consider a specialist rather than forcing the website agency to do everything.

Jointley is particularly interesting: its offering explicitly combines pitch decks, branding, product design and websites, and it positions itself around 0→1 companies. It reports having worked with founders who collectively raised substantial capital. Jointley

jointley.com

And Happy Pitch has a Chicago-specific pitch-deck practice focused on investor storytelling and custom deck design. Happy Pitch

happy-pitch.com

My suggested shortlist

If this were my university spinout, I'd interview these four first:

One caveat: I wouldn't commission a traditional branding agency to simply "make us a website and deck." For a university spinout, I'd structure the first engagement as a 2–4 week commercialization/design sprint producing:

1. Positioning: what the technology is, the problem, customer, wedge, and differentiation.
2. Narrative: one coherent story that works for investors, customers and university/industry partners.
3. Visual identity: lightweight but credible brand system.
4. MVP website: probably 5–7 pages, with a very strong homepage and product/technology explanation.
5. Interactive product prototype: enough to demonstrate the actual experience if the product isn't built.
6. Investor deck: ~12–15 slides, using the same narrative and visual language.
7. Reusable design system: Figma components/templates so the founding team isn't dependent on the agency for every subsequent asset.

That approach is especially important when the underlying technology is genuinely novel: the agency should help simplify the science without dumbing it down.

If you tell me what the spinout actually does (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, medical device, climate, university SaaS) and roughly how much you want to spend ($10–25k vs. $25–75k vs. $75k+), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms and explain exactly what I'd ask each one to deliver and what I think they'd cost.

I'd put them high on the list if the spinout is healthcare, medical, public-sector, education, or another domain where credibility and user research matter.

Best fit: Research-intensive product + sophisticated website/user experience.

5. TEAMS Design — if the "product" is actually hardware

This is the one I'd investigate if you're commercializing a physical technology rather than primarily software. Their Chicago operation spans industrial design, engineering, UX/digital design, prototyping and product development.

Best fit: University invention → physical product → prototype → brand/product story → digital experience.

6. MNML — premium option for a hardware/deep-tech venture

MNML is another strong option when the research is becoming a physical product. Their capabilities cover strategy, industrial design, brand, visualization and engineering, with work spanning product design through engineering and manufacturing.

I'd consider them if the objective is not merely an MVP website but establishing a serious product/company identity around a novel technology.

For the pitch deck specifically

I'd also consider a specialist rather than forcing the website agency to do everything.

Jointley is particularly interesting: its offering explicitly combines pitch decks, branding, product design and websites, and it positions itself around 0→1 companies. It reports having worked with founders who collectively raised substantial capital. Jointley

jointley.com

And Happy Pitch has a Chicago-specific pitch-deck practice focused on investor storytelling and custom deck design. Happy Pitch

happy-pitch.com

My suggested shortlist

If this were my university spinout, I'd interview these four first:

One caveat: I wouldn't commission a traditional branding agency to simply "make us a website and deck." For a university spinout, I'd structure the first engagement as a 2–4 week commercialization/design sprint producing:

1. Positioning: what the technology is, the problem, customer, wedge, and differentiation.
2. Narrative: one coherent story that works for investors, customers and university/industry partners.
3. Visual identity: lightweight but credible brand system.
4. MVP website: probably 5–7 pages, with a very strong homepage and product/technology explanation.
5. Interactive product prototype: enough to demonstrate the actual experience if the product isn't built.
6. Investor deck: ~12–15 slides, using the same narrative and visual language.
7. Reusable design system: Figma components/templates so the founding team isn't dependent on the agency for every subsequent asset.

That approach is especially important when the underlying technology is genuinely novel: the agency should help simplify the science without dumbing it down.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures - 6030 S Ellis Ave #2S, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Kaplan Institute at Illinois Tech - 3137 S Federal St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Segal Design Institute - 2133 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• iD Lab - 243 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Knapp Entrepreneurship Center at Illinois Institute of Technology - 10 W 35th St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 5701 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660
• Chykalophia - 929 Michigan Ave Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• Polsky Centre - 5235 S Harper Ct, Chicago, IL 60615, United States

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d prioritize studios that can do more than make a polished website: you want someone who can translate technical research into a credible commercial story, establish an early brand, build an MVP-quality web presence, and make the founders look investable.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — strongest research/science fit

• This would be my first call if the underlying technology is genuinely technical, scientific, or university-originated.
• They have a particularly relevant track record with higher education, science/research organizations, national labs and scientific collaborations, spanning strategy, branding, web and interactive development.
• Best for: translating complicated research into a credible public-facing narrative.
• Potential limitation: they may be more institution/science-communications oriented than a classic VC-focused startup studio.
• Designer and Gentleman — strongest startup/deck/brand combination

• Particularly interesting for an early spinout because they combine brand identity, UX/UI and digital experiences, and their Chicago reviews specifically mention work on a healthtech startup pitch deck and branding materials.
• Best for: taking "we have a breakthrough technology" and turning it into a coherent company story, identity, deck and website.
• I'd put them high on the list if fundraising is an immediate milestone.
• Jointley — strongest "fundraise + website + product" option

• Jointley explicitly positions itself as a 0→1 design studio for founders, covering pitch decks, branding, product design and websites. It says its work has supported companies raising more than $311M and offers a particularly relevant investor-deck + landing-page sprint. Jointley
• Best for: a spinout that needs investor materials and a credible MVP/site quickly.
• Particularly attractive if you want one partner rather than coordinating a branding firm, web designer and pitch-deck specialist.
• Futurehaus — strongest sophisticated brand/storytelling option

• Futurehaus combines brand strategy, digital experiences, web development, content and fundraising/pitch decks. Its portfolio includes work for Project CETI, a science/technology organization, which makes its ability to make ambitious technical ideas visually compelling relevant. Futurehaus
• Best for: a deep-tech or science-heavy company that wants a sophisticated brand rather than a generic "startup website."
• They state that most projects start at $10K+, so I'd expect them to be a somewhat more substantial engagement.
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency — good integrated strategy/design/development choice

• Chicago-based, with capabilities across brand strategy, UX research, visual design and in-house web development.
• Best for: a team wanting a mature agency that can handle the whole digital surface rather than just the pitch deck.
• I'd consider them especially if the website needs to become a longer-term commercial platform.
• Design In Chicago — practical all-in-one option

• Their capabilities include website strategy/discovery, UI/UX, web development, brand identity, pitch decks and sales presentations.
• Best for: a relatively pragmatic MVP where you don't need an elaborate venture-branding exercise.

How I'd choose

For a university spinout, I'd actually structure the brief around four deliverables, rather than asking for "branding + website":

• Commercial narrative: What is the technology, what problem does it solve, why now, and why is this team uniquely positioned?
• Investor deck: ~10–15 slides, with diagrams/visualizations that make the underlying science understandable without dumbing it down.
• MVP website: probably 5–7 pages, with a strong homepage, technology/product explanation, applications, team, validation/IP, and contact/investor CTA.
• Foundational visual system: logo, typography, color, diagrams, imagery/illustration style and a lightweight design system that can carry into the actual product.

The crucial question in interviewing these firms is "Show us a project where you took something technically complicated that didn't yet have an obvious commercial story and made it understandable." That's much more revealing than asking whether they can build a nice website.

My top 3 for your particular use case

I'd also look at Studio TBD if the spinout is ultimately a physical product, medtech, diagnostic, wearable or other engineered product. Their offering explicitly covers product strategy, user/market research, MVP definition, prototyping and product development, alongside design leadership. Studio TBD

One other Chicago-specific route is worth considering: if this is coming out of UChicago, UIC, Northwestern, Illinois Tech, etc., the university's commercialization/incubator ecosystem can sometimes be a surprisingly good source of referrals to designers who already understand university IP, faculty founders and tech-transfer constraints. For example, UChicago's UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures explicitly works on IP, licensing and startup formation, while UIC's UIC Innovation Center has experience around research commercialization and human-centered design.

If you tell me the spinout's field (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, climate, medtech), approximate budget, and whether the immediate goal is fundraising or customer validation, I can narrow this to 3–5 firms and compare their relevant case studies, likely engagement model, and fit.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ColorJar - 1000 W Fulton Market #213, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Rocket Creative - 717 Rose Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047
• YourPortal - 2211 N Elston Ave Ste 208, Chicago, IL 60614, United States
• Chykalophia - 929 Michigan Ave Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• SO Dsgn - 1719 S Clinton St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Chicago Website Design SEO Company - 10 S Riverside Plaza #875, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d look for a studio that can do more than make a pretty website: you need someone who can translate technical/research complexity into a credible commercial story, then carry that story consistently through the MVP site, pitch deck, and investor/customer materials.

My shortlist in Chicago would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — strongest fit for research/academic spinouts

• Particularly interesting because its work spans branding, strategy, interactive/web development, and scientific research/higher-education organizations.
• This is the unusual case where I’d expect the team to understand that the challenge isn't simply "startup branding"; it's communicating sophisticated research to non-specialists.
• I'd put them near the top if the technology is coming out of a university lab or involves scientific/technical subject matter.
• TXI — best if the "MVP website" is really the beginning of a digital product

• Chicago-headquartered product consultancy combining product discovery, UX research, design and engineering.
• Particularly compelling if you need to figure out what the MVP should actually be rather than simply designing a marketing site.
• Probably more substantial—and potentially more expensive—than you'd want if the immediate need is just a landing page + deck.
• Grand Studio — strong for turning ambiguous research into an MVP

• Their strength is human-centered research, product strategy, UX/UI and MVP definition.
• I'd consider them if the spinout has promising technology but hasn't yet nailed down the user, workflow, or product proposition.
• This is especially useful when the university team is still saying, "We have this amazing technology; we're not quite sure what the product is."
• MNML — best if there's a physical/hardware component

• A multidisciplinary Chicago design/engineering firm spanning industrial design, engineering, UX and brand.
• Their experience includes products such as Theragun and connected/physical products.
• If your university spinout is medtech, hardware, instrumentation, robotics, consumer hardware, etc., I'd move MNML way up the list.
• TEAMS Design — another excellent hardware/physical-product option

• Strong combination of industrial design, engineering, prototyping and product development.
• More appropriate if "research-to-product" means actually commercializing a physical invention rather than primarily creating a SaaS/digital product.
• Orbit Media Studios — best for a serious marketing website

• Very established Chicago web/design shop with a strategy-led approach to UX, content, conversion and development.
• I'd choose them if the product story is already reasonably clear and the immediate goal is a high-quality commercial website, rather than deep product discovery.
• Jayne Agency, LLC — worth considering for the narrative/pitch side

• More communications/brand-oriented, with capabilities around messaging, storytelling, UX research and pitch development.
• Interesting if the biggest problem is "How do we explain this research to investors and customers?"
• ColorJar — strong brand strategy option

• Boutique Chicago brand strategy/design consultancy.
• I'd consider them when the spinout needs to establish a distinctive commercial identity and positioning, particularly if the university/lab identity currently dominates the story.

One non-obvious option I'd investigate

Jointley is not the most obvious "Chicago design agency" choice, but its positioning is unusually aligned with what you're describing: it explicitly works with founders on pitch decks, branding, product design and websites, including a "0→1" process. It says it has helped founders raise more than $311M and offers a seven-day investor-ready sprint. Jointley

That could be attractive if the goal is "we need something investor-ready in the next 2–4 weeks", rather than a long institutional design engagement.

My ranking for your specific use case

There are also two particularly relevant specialist examples I found. EightySeven offers founder-focused brand sprints that combine positioning, identity, homepage direction and launch materials, while Futurehaus explicitly combines websites/apps with fundraising and pitch decks, although its stated projects generally start at $10K+. EightySeven Futurehaus

What I'd actually ask them to quote

I wouldn't initially ask for "a website and pitch deck." I'd frame the engagement as a research-to-market communication sprint:

• 1. Commercial narrative: translate the research into a simple problem → technology → product → customer → economic value story.
• 2. MVP positioning: define the initial customer and the narrowest credible product proposition.
• 3. Investor deck: ~10–15 slides, including the technology moat, validation, market, business model and commercialization path.
• 4. Website: 5–7 highly focused pages, preferably with a working CMS and analytics.
• 5. Visual system: enough brand/visual identity to make the company look independent from the university.
• 6. Product visualization: diagrams, workflows, UI mockups or product renders that make the technology tangible.
• 7. Reusable assets: Figma files, slide template, diagrams and visual components so the founding team isn't dependent on the agency for every future presentation.

The university relationship is particularly important. I'd explicitly ask each shop how they've handled the tension between "this is legitimate university research" and "this is now a commercial company." You don't want a website that looks like a lab page, but you also don't want a generic SaaS startup aesthetic pasted onto deep technology.

If you tell me what kind of spinout it is (biotech/medtech, materials, climate, AI/software, hardware, etc.), approximate budget ($10–25k / $25–50k / $50k+), and whether the immediate audience is investors or customers, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms I'd interview first, including relevant portfolio examples and what I'd expect each to cost.

There are also two particularly relevant specialist examples I found. EightySeven offers founder-focused brand sprints that combine positioning, identity, homepage direction and launch materials, while Futurehaus explicitly combines websites/apps with fundraising and pitch decks, although its stated projects generally start at $10K+. madebyeightyseven.com futurehaus.studio

What I'd actually ask them to quote

I wouldn't initially ask for "a website and pitch deck." I'd frame the engagement as a research-to-market communication sprint:

• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• LaunchPad Lab - 448 N La Salle Dr Fl 9, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Arkel Chicago Awnings & Canopies - 980 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Polsky Center, Chicago Booth - 5807 S Woodlawn Ave #207, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Presentora Designs - 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures - 6030 S Ellis Ave #2S, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Innovation and New Ventures Office - 1800 Sherman Ave #504, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Think Latitude - 400 N La Salle Dr Apt 4010, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Polsky Centre - 5235 S Harper Ct, Chicago, IL 60615, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d prioritize studios that can do more than make a beautiful website: you need someone who can translate technical research into a credible commercial story, build an MVP-quality digital experience, and make the investor deck and website reinforce each other.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Design In Chicago — best all-around fit

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-535-3088)

This is probably my first call if you want one partner to handle the whole package. They combine branding, web/UI, development, marketing collateral, and specifically list pitch decks and sales presentations among their capabilities.

Their advantage for a spinout is breadth: you could go from rough research/technology story → positioning → visual identity → website → investor deck without coordinating several vendors.

Best for: a practical, relatively fast brand + MVP website + pitch deck engagement.

designinchicago.com

2. LaunchPad Lab — best if the "MVP" is actually a product

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-888-9651)

I'd look seriously at LaunchPad Lab if by MVP website you mean something with meaningful product functionality, not just a marketing site. They specialize in digital product strategy, discovery, UX/UI, user research and building digital products.

That makes them particularly interesting if the spinout needs to demonstrate how the research becomes a usable product rather than simply explain the science.

Best for: research → user needs → prototype → functional MVP.

launchpadlab.com

3. The Tentmakers — best brand/product-design combination

Arkel Chicago Awnings & Canopies is unusually aligned with what you're describing: they explicitly combine brand design and product design, including positioning, identity, decks/sites, product UI and design systems. Their positioning is explicitly aimed at founders building real companies. The Tentmakers

I'd shortlist them if the technology is impressive but the company currently feels like "a lab project" rather than a startup.

Best for: turning an academic technology into something that looks and feels like a company.

thetentmkrs.com

4. Jointley — best for an investor-oriented sprint

Jointley is particularly interesting because its offering is almost exactly your requested combination: pitch decks + branding + product design + websites. It advertises a seven-day "Raise-Ready Sprint" combining an investor deck and landing page, followed by deeper product/brand/site work if needed. Jointley

For a spinout approaching a demo day, grant/commercialization milestone, seed round, or first investor conversations, that's compelling.

Best for: "We need to look fundable in the next few weeks."

jointley.com

5. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — best established full-service option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)

ArtVersion has a broader agency footprint and combines brand/identity, web, UX/UI and development under one roof.

I'd consider them if the university or technology has a more institutional/enterprise audience and you want something polished enough to stand in front of corporate partners as well as VCs.

Best for: sophisticated B2B/enterprise presentation and a more established brand presence.

artversion.com

6. VerdanaBold Presentation Design — best deck specialist

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-682-8989)

If you already have the website/design side covered, I'd use VerdanaBold for the investor deck/storytelling layer. They specialize in pitch decks, executive presentations and investor-day materials, and importantly emphasize narrative/strategy rather than merely making slides attractive.

Best for: turning 30 pages of scientific material into a 12–15 slide investor narrative.

How I'd actually choose

For a research-to-product spinout, I'd rank the options differently depending on what you're missing:

One important caveat for a university spinout

I'd do the IP/commercialization check before giving an outside design studio detailed technical information. For example, UChicago's commercialization guidance explicitly warns that public disclosure can affect patent rights and says researchers should engage the commercialization team before publicly disclosing potentially protectable work. Polsky Center

If this is a UChicago spinout, Polsky Center, Chicago Booth is therefore worth bringing into the process early. Its venture-development team specifically works on commercialization strategy, market validation and investor preparation. Polsky Center

My preferred engagement structure

Rather than asking a studio for "a website and pitch deck," I'd give them a brief like:

Phase 1 — Commercial narrative: research → problem → customer → product → evidence → differentiation
Phase 2 — MVP experience: 5–8 key screens/pages demonstrating the product and value proposition
Phase 3 — Brand system: name/positioning if needed, visual identity, typography, imagery/data visualization
Phase 4 — Investor materials: 12–15 slide fundraising deck + 1-page teaser
Phase 5 — Launch site: responsive website built from the same narrative and visual system

That structure matters because the biggest failure mode for academic spinouts is having a beautiful website, a beautiful deck, and a technically impressive product that each tell three different stories.

If you tell me what kind of university technology this is (biotech, medtech, AI, materials, climate, robotics, etc.), the university, and roughly your budget ($10–25k / $25–50k / $50k+), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms I'd actually interview, including relevant portfolios and what I'd ask each one in the first call.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Concentric Design - 3130 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL 60618, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 5701 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660
• Synergy Creative - 1039 W Lake St 2nd floor, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Presentora Designs - 233 S Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Eduvantis, LLC - 118 N Clinton St Ste 100-12, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Glantz Design - 1881 Oak Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Artversion - 205 N Michigan Ave 8th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d bias toward firms that can translate complex research into a credible commercial story—not simply make a pretty startup site. You ideally want one partner who can handle positioning → visual identity → research/product story → MVP website → investor deck.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — strongest fit for university/research-heavy work

• This is the first one I’d investigate.
• Their Chicago practice specifically works with higher education and scientific research organizations, including institutional and research-lab web experiences.
• That makes them unusually well suited to the problem of turning academic/technical material into something understandable and commercially credible.
• Best if the spinout is still figuring out how to explain the technology and its significance, rather than just needing execution.
• Designer and Gentleman — strongest startup-style option

• More of a digital-first brand + UX/UI partner.
• Particularly interesting if you want the company to feel like a serious venture-backed technology company rather than an academic commercialization project.
• Their work spans branding, web/product design and pitch materials, and their Chicago business profile specifically notes startup pitch-deck/branding work.
• Design In Chicago — good all-in-one option

• Combines brand strategy, web design/development, marketing collateral and pitch decks under one roof.
• I'd consider them if you want a relatively conventional agency relationship where the deliverables are clearly defined: identity, website, deck, one-pager, etc.
• They also have a West Loop presence, which can be convenient for an in-person university/startup team.
• Concentric Design — good boutique choice

• Their positioning around strategy → brand → digital experience → presentations maps nicely to an early spinout.
• I particularly like the possibility of getting the website and pitch materials to feel like one narrative, rather than hiring a web shop and a separate presentation designer.
• The Tentmakers — interesting if you want a very hands-on founder studio

• They explicitly combine brand design and product design, including positioning, identity, decks, websites and product UI.
• Their model is deliberately studio-led, with the same people taking work from initial concept through handoff. The Tentmakers
• I'd put them on the shortlist if the spinout needs a leaner, more founder-oriented engagement rather than a traditional agency.
• Futurehaus — strongest if the pitch/storytelling component is substantial

• They combine websites/digital experiences with brand storytelling, fundraising/pitch decks, messaging and communications.
• Their stated projects start at $10K+, so I'd expect them to make more sense once there's some commercialization/fundraising budget behind the company. Futurehaus

One specialist I'd consider alongside them

VerdanaBold Presentation Design is worth knowing if the pitch deck is mission-critical. They're much more presentation-specialized, covering investor decks, storytelling, data visualization and executive presentations. I wouldn't necessarily use them for the website, but they could be an excellent deck partner if the website is handled separately.

My recommended shortlist

If this were my project, I'd probably take three firms into an initial conversation:

The key thing I'd test in those conversations is not their visual portfolio. Give each firm the same 5–10 pages of raw material—research abstract, technology description, target customer, competitive landscape, founder bios, commercialization thesis—and ask them:

"How would you turn this into a compelling story for a customer, investor and prospective employee?"

A great partner should be able to identify the commercial insight buried inside the academic material before talking about colors, logos or animations.

I'd also explicitly scope the project as a "commercialization narrative + MVP", rather than "website design." The ideal first phase would produce:

• positioning and messaging
• audience/customer definition
• visual identity
• core product story / diagrams
• 5–8 page investor deck
• 5–7 page marketing site
• clickable product/MVP prototype where useful
• reusable design system
• founder/investor one-pager

That gives the spinout a coherent research → product → market → investment story rather than a website and deck that happen to share a logo.

If you tell me what the spinout is commercializing (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, medtech, climate, robotics) and roughly your budget ($10–25k, $25–50k, $50k+), I can narrow this to 3–4 Chicago firms and compare them on research/technical storytelling, startup experience, website/MVP capability, pitch-deck strength, likely cost, and fit for a university spinout.

"How would you turn this into a compelling story for a customer, investor and prospective employee?"

A great partner should be able to identify the commercial insight buried inside the academic material before talking about colors, logos or animations.

I'd also explicitly scope the project as a "commercialization narrative + MVP", rather than "website design." The ideal first phase would produce:

• positioning and messaging
• audience/customer definition
• visual identity
• core product story / diagrams
• 5–8 page investor deck
• 5–7 page marketing site
• clickable product/MVP prototype where useful
• reusable design system
• founder/investor one-pager

That gives the spinout a coherent research → product → market → investment story rather than a website and deck that happen to share a logo.

If you tell me what the spinout is commercializing (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, medtech, climate, robotics) and roughly your budget ($10–25k, $25–50k, $50k+), I can narrow this to 3–4 Chicago firms and compare them on research/technical storytelling, startup experience, website/MVP capability, pitch-deck strength, likely cost, and fit for a university spinout.

• John Lyle & Associates, Inc. - 1 N LaSalle St Ste 1325, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• LaunchPad Lab - 448 N La Salle Dr Fl 9, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Futurehaus - 125 S Clark St Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• Arkel Chicago Awnings & Canopies - 980 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Design Henge - 2259 W Rosemont Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Chris Depa Web Design + Branding - 1528 Robinhood Ln, La Grange Park, IL 60526, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Chykalophia - 929 Michigan Ave Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202, United States

For a university spinout, I’d bias toward studios that can do more than make a pretty website: you want someone who can translate technical research into a credible commercial story, establish an early brand, build a convincing MVP/landing experience, and make the pitch deck and website feel like one system.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. John Lyle & Associates, Inc. — probably my first call

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-981-0335)

Jointley is unusually well aligned with this exact stage. They position themselves as a 0→1 design studio for founders, covering pitch decks, branding, product design, websites, and even engineering. They explicitly offer an investor-ready deck + landing-page sprint and say they have worked with companies including Barnwell Bio. Jointley

Why I'd shortlist them:

• Strong founder/venture orientation
• Can connect deck → brand → website → eventual product
• Particularly appropriate if you're preparing for fundraising or an accelerator
• Their "raise, launch, grow" positioning is much closer to a spinout's needs than a traditional branding agency

Best for: a venture that already has promising research/IP and needs to turn it into a compelling commercial narrative quickly.

2. Designer and Gentleman — strong for tech/healthtech storytelling

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 310-488-3398)

This one caught my attention because the available local-business evidence specifically mentions healthtech startup pitch decks and branding materials, alongside UX/UI and digital-first brand work.

Best for: a technical or scientific spinout where the challenge is making something unfamiliar feel understandable, modern and investable.

I'd ask them specifically for examples where they've taken complex technology → positioning → website → investor materials, rather than judging them purely on visual portfolio quality.

3. LaunchPad Lab — if the "MVP" is genuinely interactive

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-888-9651)

LaunchPad Lab is more product-oriented than a conventional branding shop. Their work includes discovery, UX/UI, user research, product strategy and software development.

That's attractive if by "MVP website" you actually mean something like:

researcher demonstrates technology → prospective customer interacts with it → submits information → gets a result/report/demo → team captures the lead.

In that case, I'd rather have a product-design/development partner than a pure brand studio.

Best for: research-to-product commercialization where the website is partly a prototype of the eventual product, not merely a marketing site.

4. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — polished, credible institutional-to-commercial bridge

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)

ArtVersion combines branding, UX, web design/development and research/product-development capabilities.

I'd consider them if the university connection matters—for example, if you need the company to look credible simultaneously to investors, corporate partners, researchers and prospective customers.

Best for: a more established-looking commercialization site rather than a scrappy founder landing page.

5. Futurehaus — interesting for mission/impact-heavy technology

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-985-6537)

Futurehaus explicitly combines brand strategy, websites/interactive experiences, fundraising & pitch decks, impact storytelling and technology implementation. Their published minimum project size is generally $10K+. Futurehaus

Best for: climate, health, public-interest, deep-tech or other research where the why this matters story is almost as important as the technology.

6. VerdanaBold Presentation Design — if the deck is the immediate priority

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-682-8989)

VerdanaBold is much more specialized: high-stakes presentation design, pitch decks, storytelling, data visualization and PowerPoint/Google Slides systems.

I wouldn't use them as the sole partner for the website, but they could be an excellent deck specialist alongside a web/brand studio.

A couple of other options worth a look

• Arkel Chicago Awnings & Canopies — a smaller Chicago brand/product studio that explicitly combines brand identity, product UI, websites and investor decks. Their positioning around a unified system is particularly relevant if you don't want the deck and website to feel like two unrelated projects. The Tentmakers
• DROY Studio — specifically pitches itself around turning complex ideas into "fundable stories," with branding, pitch decks, websites and consulting; its site says websites typically launch in 2–3 weeks. DROY Studio
• Wallflowers Club — a smaller Chicago studio serving entrepreneurs/startups, with brand strategy, product development, websites, pitch decks and presentations under one roof. The Wallflowers Club

My ranking for a university spinout

What I'd actually commission

I wouldn't brief this as "we need a website and pitch deck." I'd ask for a research-to-commercialization launch package:

1. Positioning workshop — What is the technology, who has the problem, why is it better, and what is the initial wedge?
2. Narrative architecture — the 30-second, 2-minute and 10-minute versions of the story.
3. Visual identity — enough brand system to look like a real company, without spending six months on branding.
4. Investor deck — ideally 12–15 highly visual slides.
5. Commercial website — probably 4–6 pages, with a very clear CTA.
6. Interactive MVP/prototype — if showing the technology itself materially improves the pitch.
7. Reusable system — Figma components, slide template, diagrams, graphics and website components so the university team isn't dependent on the agency for every update.

For a deep-tech/biotech/AI university spinout, my first three calls would therefore be Jointley, Designer & Gentleman, and LaunchPad Lab. If the immediate goal is a fundraising round and the technology doesn't need to be interactive yet, I'd substitute VerdanaBold for LaunchPad Lab.

One particularly important interview question I'd ask each firm is: "Show us a project where you had to turn genuinely complex technical/IP into a commercial story for people who weren't experts." That's a much better test for this project than their general branding portfolio.

Futurehaus explicitly combines brand strategy, websites/interactive experiences, fundraising & pitch decks, impact storytelling and technology implementation. Their published minimum project size is generally $10K+. Futurehaus

Best for: climate, health, public-interest, deep-tech or other research where the why this matters story is almost as important as the technology.

6. VerdanaBold Presentation Design — if the deck is the immediate priority

VerdanaBold is much more specialized: high-stakes presentation design, pitch decks, storytelling, data visualization and PowerPoint/Google Slides systems.

I wouldn't use them as the sole partner for the website, but they could be an excellent deck specialist alongside a web/brand studio.

A couple of other options worth a look

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Orbit Media Studios - 4043 N Ravenswood Ave #316, Chicago, IL 60613, United States
• Design Henge - 2259 W Rosemont Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Chris Depa Web Design + Branding - 1528 Robinhood Ln, La Grange Park, IL 60526, United States
• Chykalophia - 929 Michigan Ave Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• IDE Interactive, Inc. - 2945 W Peterson Ave Ste 103, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Rocket Creative - 717 Rose Rd, Lake Zurich, IL 60047
• Dialogue Theory - 1932 S Halsted St #509, Chicago, IL 60608, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 5701 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d prioritize studios that can do more than make something visually polished: you want someone who can translate technical/academic research → commercial narrative → credible MVP site → investor/customer pitch.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — my strongest fit for a research-derived spinout

• This is the unusual one: Sandbox explicitly works with higher-education and scientific research organizations, with clients including Argonne, Fermilab, Northwestern, Rice, and the University of Chicago.
• Their work includes websites for research communities, branding, and digital experiences.
• I’d talk to them if the technology is still difficult to explain and you need someone comfortable with scientific/technical audiences.
• Best for: research translation, credibility, institutional/technical storytelling, website.
• MNML — if there is a physical/hardware product

• MNML is much more of a product-development/design-engineering shop than a conventional branding agency.
• Their capabilities span strategy, industrial design, brand design, visualization, and engineering, with examples such as Theragun and SNOOZ.
• If your spinout needs to show what the eventual product could be, rather than merely describe the science, this is compelling.
• Best for: deep tech, hardware, physical product + brand.
• Jointley — best startup-specific option for website + pitch deck

• Jointley positions itself specifically as a 0→1 design studio for founders, covering pitch decks, branding, product design and websites. It says it has supported companies that collectively raised $311M+ and offers a “raise-ready” sprint combining an investor deck and landing page. Jointley
• This is probably the most directly aligned if the immediate objective is “we need to look like a real venture-backed company in the next few weeks.”
• Best for: fundraising sprint, MVP website, deck, early product UX.
• DROY Studio — particularly interesting for technical/scientific storytelling

• DROY explicitly says it specializes in helping startups turn complex, technical ideas into clear stories for investors and audiences, with branding, pitch decks, websites and consulting. Its websites typically launch in 2–3 weeks. DROY Studio
• That positioning is unusually close to your problem.
• Best for: deep-tech narrative, pitch deck, initial brand and fast website.
• Dolce Vita Studio — strong evidence of exactly this use case

• Their Indicia Labs case study is almost a direct analogue: AI/data-science/research innovation → brand identity + website + investor pitch deck. They describe the challenge as communicating technical credibility while making the proposition understandable to investors and partners. Dolce Vita Studio
• This would be high on my interview list if your spinout is AI/software/research-heavy.
• Best for: research → commercial story, brand, website, investor deck.
• Designer and Gentleman — good scrappy startup option

• Chicago-based branding/UX studio with evidence of startup work, including a health-tech startup pitch deck and branding materials.
• I'd consider them if you want something more boutique and founder-friendly rather than a large agency.
• Best for: startup brand + UX + deck, particularly health/tech.
• Design In Chicago — broad one-stop shop

• They combine branding, web design/development, app development, video and marketing, and specifically list pitch decks and sales presentations among their capabilities.
• Useful if you expect the MVP website to turn into a broader marketing/sales system.
• Best for: website + brand + ongoing marketing collateral.

How I'd narrow it

For a typical university deep-tech/software spinout, I'd probably interview these four first:

The particularly interesting comparison is Sandbox vs. Jointley. Sandbox appears better equipped to understand the science and institutional context; Jointley appears better optimized for turning an early company into something investors immediately recognize as a startup. Jointley

I'd also consider Futurehaus if you want a somewhat larger strategic/creative partner: they offer brand strategy, websites/apps, storytelling, fundraising/pitch decks and technology strategy, although they state that most projects start at $10K+. Futurehaus

One important thing I'd ask them

Don't brief this as:

“We need a website and pitch deck.”

I'd brief it as:

“We're commercializing university research and need to turn a technically sophisticated technology into a clear product proposition for three audiences: investors, early customers/partners, and technical talent.”

Then ask each studio to propose a 4–8 week commercialization/design sprint producing:

• positioning + messaging
• visual identity
• 5–8 page MVP marketing site
• investor pitch deck
• one-page technical/product overview
• product visualization / diagrams
• basic product UX or clickable prototype, if applicable
• reusable Figma design system
• messaging that separates what has been scientifically demonstrated from what is the commercial product vision

That last distinction is particularly important for university spinouts: you don't want an agency to accidentally turn a research claim into an overhyped marketing claim.

If you tell me what kind of spinout it is (AI/software, biotech, materials, climate, hardware, medtech, etc.) and roughly what budget you have ($10–25k, $25–50k, $50k+), I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms and explain exactly why I'd pick each one.

Don't brief this as:

“We need a website and pitch deck.”

I'd brief it as:

“We're commercializing university research and need to turn a technically sophisticated technology into a clear product proposition for three audiences: investors, early customers/partners, and technical talent.”

Then ask each studio to propose a 4–8 week commercialization/design sprint producing:

For a university spinout, I would look less for a generic “website design” shop and more for a partner that can translate deep technical IP → compelling market story → credible MVP experience → investor/customer materials. The ideal team understands research commercialization, complex B2B products, scientific audiences, and early-stage fundraising.

A shortlist I would consider in Chicago:

My likely shortlist by spinout stage

If you are pre-MVP (idea → first demo)

I would start with:

1. TXI
2. Highland
3. Fuzzy Math

You need:

• customer/user discovery
• product definition
• prototype
• MVP scope
• technical roadmap

If you have a prototype and need funding

I would prioritize:

1. DesignScout
2. ArtVersion
3. TXI

You need:

• investor narrative
• website that explains the science simply
• product screenshots/mockups
• pitch deck visuals
• customer-facing materials

If it is deep tech (AI, biotech, medtech, materials, robotics)

I would bias toward firms that can handle ambiguity:

• TXI
• Highland
• Fuzzy Math

What I would ask them to deliver

For a university spinout, I would scope a 6–10 week engagement around:

Phase 1 — Commercialization framing

• technology translation (“what is the product?”)
• target customer personas
• competitive positioning
• value proposition

Phase 2 — MVP experience

• user journeys
• clickable prototype
• product architecture
• MVP backlog

Phase 3 — Fundraising package

• investor pitch deck design
• product demo narrative
• website/landing page
• technical diagrams simplified for non-specialists

A common mistake for academic spinouts is creating a beautiful site that explains the research but does not make the buyer/investor immediately understand who pays, why now, and what the first product actually is.

If you share the spinout’s field (AI, biotech, climate, robotics, medtech, materials, etc.), funding stage, and whether the MVP is software or hardware, I can narrow this to 3–5 much better matches.

• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Designer and Gentleman - 2653 W Hollywood Ave, Chicago, IL 60659, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Polsky Center, Chicago Booth - 5807 S Woodlawn Ave #207, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• IIT Institute of Design - 3137 S Federal St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Northwestern Master of Science in Engineering Design Innovation (MS-EDI) Program - 2133 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Segal Design Institute - 2133 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60208, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Kaplan Institute at Illinois Tech - 3137 S Federal St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Brand Vision Marketing - Web Design & Branding - 30 N Michigan Ave #504, Chicago, IL 60602, United States
• Northwestern MMM Program | MBA + MS Design Innovation - 2133 Sheridan Rd Ste 1-311, Evanston, IL 60201, United States
• Chykalophia - 929 Michigan Ave Apt. 3, Evanston, IL 60202, United States
• UIC School of Design - 845 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

For a university spinout moving from research/IP to a credible MVP and an investor/customer story, I’d prioritize studios that can do more than make a nice website. You want someone who can translate technical science into a clear positioning → product narrative → visual identity → website → pitch deck.

My Chicago shortlist:

1. MNML — best if there is a physical/scientific product

• Probably the strongest fit if the spinout involves hardware, devices, materials, or something that ultimately has to become a commercial product.
• They combine strategy, industrial design, brand design, visualization and engineering, and have experience taking products toward market.
• I would ask them specifically whether they'd take on company story + MVP website + investor deck, rather than just the physical product.
• Designer and Gentleman — best all-around startup/tech option

• Particularly interesting for a digital/healthtech/scientific spinout. Their capabilities span branding, UX/UI, website design and development, and they have a specifically cited example of a healthtech startup pitch deck and branding project.
• This is one of the first firms I'd talk to if you need something polished relatively quickly.
• Design In Chicago — pragmatic one-stop shop

• Their offering covers branding, web design/development, UI, pitch decks, sales presentations and ongoing marketing collateral.
• Good fit if you want one vendor to actually get the MVP site launched, rather than a pure brand consultancy.
• The Tentmakers — strongest boutique fit for brand + product

• This is one of the more interesting matches conceptually: they explicitly combine brand design and product design, including identity, positioning, decks, sites, interfaces and product flows. The Tentmakers
• Their "same team from strategy through hand-off" model is attractive for a spinout where the product story is still evolving.
• thetentmkrs.com
• DROY Studio — particularly worth considering for deep tech

• Their positioning is unusually close to your problem: they say they specialize in translating complex, technical ideas into clear stories for investors and audiences, with branding, pitch decks, consulting and websites. DROY Studio
• If the underlying research is difficult to explain—biotech, materials science, AI, engineering, etc.—I'd put them high on the interview list.
• droystudio.com
• Futurehaus — best for a bigger integrated engagement

• They combine brand identity, websites/digital platforms, storytelling, communications and fundraising/pitch decks. They also explicitly work with technology/implementation. Futurehaus
• Their stated project minimum is generally $10K+, so I'd consider them if you're past the very shoestring stage.
• futurehaus.studio
• Magic Eight Co. — strong if the problem is positioning/storytelling

• Their process starts with stakeholder research, market/competitive intelligence and positioning, then moves into visual/verbal systems, presentation templates and content-driven websites. Magic Eight Co.
• That research-first approach could be particularly valuable for a university spinout whose technology is clear to scientists but not yet clear to customers/investors.
• magiceight.co
• Jointley — worth a look for a founder-led startup

• They explicitly offer pitch decks, branding, product design, websites and engineering, with an emphasis on founders and teams shipping something real. Jointley
• That makes the service mix unusually close to an early spinout's needs.
• jointley.com

My ranking for your specific use case

One thing I'd change about the brief

I wouldn't brief this as "we need a website and pitch deck." For a research spinout, that can lead to a pretty site that still doesn't answer the fundamental commercial questions.

I'd instead ask the studio to deliver something like:

Phase 1 — Commercial narrative

• What problem does the research solve?
• Who has that problem badly enough to pay?
• Why is this technology meaningfully different?
• What's the first beachhead market?
• What is the MVP?
• What evidence can you legitimately claim today?
• What has to happen next to de-risk commercialization?

Phase 2 — Translation

• company/product positioning
• messaging architecture
• visual identity
• 8–12 slide investor/customer narrative
• website information architecture and copy

Phase 3 — MVP presence

• 4–6 page website
• product/demo visualization
• founder/scientist credibility
• evidence/validation
• CTA appropriate to the current stage (pilot, technical partner, investor, waitlist, etc.)

That distinction matters enormously for university spinouts: the design firm should help turn "interesting research" into "a company someone can understand and believe in."

I'd probably interview DROY, The Tentmakers, Designer and Gentleman, and MNML first, with the choice depending heavily on whether the spinout is software/AI, biotech/healthtech, or physical/hardware.

Also, if this is specifically a university commercialization project, there are some unusually relevant local resources worth knowing about: UIC Innovation Center has programs involving design research, market analysis, IP evaluation, prototyping and testing, while Polsky Center, Chicago Booth is UChicago's commercialization/entrepreneurship hub.

If you tell me what kind of research spinout it is (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, medtech, climate, robotics) and roughly your budget ($10k / $25k / $50k+), I can narrow this to the 3 Chicago firms I'd actually send an RFP to, including what I'd ask each one to quote.

I'd probably interview DROY, The Tentmakers, Designer and Gentleman, and MNML first, with the choice depending heavily on whether the spinout is software/AI, biotech/healthtech, or physical/hardware.

For a university spinout, I would look less for a “pretty website” agency and more for a partner that can translate deep technical research → credible product story → investor/customer-facing MVP. The ideal team can help with:

• positioning the technology and market opportunity
• founder narrative and pitch deck structure
• product UX/UI for an MVP demo
• website architecture and messaging
• diagrams, technical illustrations, and commercialization visuals

My shortlist of Chicago-area firms:

Best overall fits for research-to-product spinouts

TXI

Best fit if the spinout needs product strategy + UX + engineering alignment.

Why consider:

• Strong on translating ambiguous technical ideas into products.
• Experience with discovery, user research, prototyping, and digital products.
• Better suited than a pure branding shop when the MVP itself is still being defined.

Good engagement:

“Help us turn our university technology into a first customer-facing product concept, prototype, and investor-ready story.”

Grand Studio

Best fit for complex technologies where user workflows matter.

Why consider:

• Strong UX research and human-centered design orientation.
• Useful if the spinout involves healthcare, enterprise software, scientific workflows, or specialized users.

Good engagement:

• user interviews
• workflow mapping
• MVP UX
• product demo experience

IDEO Chicago

Best fit if you need venture creation thinking and a polished innovation narrative.

Why consider:

• Deep experience with innovation strategy, prototyping, and product/service design.
• Strong choice for ambitious technology commercialization efforts, though likely a higher-budget option.

Best for website + pitch deck + brand credibility

Mauge

Best fit for a spinout preparing for:

• seed fundraising
• accelerator applications
• first customer conversations

Why consider:

• Works across brand identity, websites, presentations, and marketing materials. Mauge

ALL FOR™

Best fit for a lean startup launch package.

Why consider:

• Offers brand strategy, pitch/presentation design, and web design capabilities. ALL FOR™
• Could be a good choice if the technology is already validated and the immediate need is credibility.

Design In Chicago

Best fit for:

• visual identity
• messaging
• investor-facing brand system

They emphasize positioning, identity systems, guidelines, web, and marketing execution. Design in Chicago

Best if the spinout is hardware, biotech device, or physical product

MNML

Strong option for:

• physical products
• devices
• hardware-enabled businesses

They combine product design, engineering, branding, and experience design.

TEAMS Design

Strong option for:

• engineering-heavy products
• medical devices
• industrial technologies

They focus on product design, engineering, prototyping, and development.

My suggested shortlist by spinout stage

A strong first engagement would usually be a 4–8 week commercialization design sprint producing:

1. positioning and value proposition,
2. customer/user personas,
3. MVP product concept,
4. clickable prototype,
5. launch website,
6. investor pitch deck,
7. technical visuals/figures.

For a university spinout specifically, I would probably interview TXI, Grand Studio, and Mauge first—they sit closest to the intersection of technology translation, product thinking, and fundraising/customer communication.

My suggested shortlist by spinout stage

A strong first engagement would usually be a 4–8 week commercialization design sprint producing:

For a university spinout, I’d prioritize studios that can do more than make a pretty site: you need someone who can translate technical research into a credible commercial narrative, build an MVP marketing site, and create investor/customer-facing materials (deck, one-pager, diagrams, visuals). The best fit is usually a brand + UX + storytelling partner, not a traditional ad agency.

Here are Chicago-area shops I’d shortlist:

Strongest fits for research-to-product spinouts

Sandstorm Design

Best for: deep-tech, healthcare, research-driven products, institutional credibility

Why consider:

• Strong UX/research orientation rather than purely visual branding.
• Good fit when the product requires explaining complex workflows, users, or data.
• Can help shape a website around trust, usability, and conversion.

Good deliverables to ask for:

• Product positioning workshop
• Website information architecture
• MVP marketing site
• User journey diagrams
• Explainer visuals

ArtVersion

Best for: a polished investor/customer launch package

Why consider:

• Offers branding, web design, UX/UI, and research/product-oriented design capabilities.
• More “innovation consultancy” feel than a small branding freelancer.

Good deliverables to ask for:

• Brand identity system
• Seed fundraising deck design
• Product screenshots/mockups
• Website design system
• Sales collateral

Futurehaus

Best for: spinouts that need storytelling + digital product thinking

Why consider:

• Combines brand strategy, digital experiences, content, and fundraising/pitch materials. Futurehaus
• Useful if the company needs to explain a new category or emerging technology.

Good deliverables to ask for:

• “Research → market → product” narrative
• Website prototype
• Pitch deck
• Motion/explainer content

IDE Interactive

Best for: when the MVP site may evolve into an actual software product

Why consider:

• Experience design + development background.
• Better fit if you need interaction design, prototypes, dashboards, or product UX—not just marketing pages.

Good deliverables to ask for:

• MVP UX prototype
• Product flows
• Landing page
• Interactive demos

Stronger brand/storytelling specialists

Concentric Design

Best for: turning academic innovation into a compelling story

Why consider:

• Covers brand strategy, web, print, and presentations.
• Good if the challenge is “how do we make this technology understandable?”

EightySeven

Best for: early-stage founder-led companies needing a fast brand launch

Why consider:

• Runs startup-oriented brand sprints focused on positioning, identity, and launch assets. EightySeven

Tordis

Best for: lean spinouts that need a founder-friendly partner

Why consider:

• Works across branding, websites, landing pages, and pitch decks. Tordis
• Likely a better fit for a small pre-seed budget than a large agency.

If I were selecting for a university spinout, I’d run a first-round conversation with:

1. Sandstorm Design — if the technology is complex, regulated, scientific, or enterprise-facing.
2. Futurehaus — if you need to create a compelling “why this matters” story.
3. ArtVersion — if you need investor-grade polish quickly.
4. IDE Interactive — if the MVP includes software/product UX.
5. Concentric Design — if positioning and narrative are the biggest unknowns.

What I would ask them to scope (rather than “make us a website”)

A good spinout package is usually:

Phase 1 — Translation

• Founder/researcher interviews
• Competitive landscape
• Customer personas
• Value proposition
• Messaging framework

Phase 2 — MVP presence

• Brand direction
• Landing page/site
• Product diagrams
• Technical illustrations
• Demo visuals

Phase 3 — Fundraising/customer materials

• 10–15 slide investor deck
• One-page company overview
• Partner/customer presentation
• Conference materials

For a university spinout, I would avoid hiring a studio that mainly does restaurants, lifestyle brands, or generic corporate websites—the hardest part is usually not the UI, it is making a breakthrough technology feel inevitable and understandable to non-specialists.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Sandstorm Design - 4422 N Ravenswood Ave #50, Chicago, IL 60640, United States
• IDEO Chicago - 626 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661, United States
• Vault Innovation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Bluedog Design - 403 N Carpenter St, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• ArtVersion® Creative Agency - 211 W Wacker Dr Ste 1130, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Jayne Agency, LLC - 400 N State St #420, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Kaplan Institute - 3137 S Federal St, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616
• Pro Business Plans - 332 S Michigan Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Highland - 125 S Clark St Ste 670, Chicago, IL 60603, United States
• MNML - 170 N Sangamon St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• SO Dsgn - 1719 S Clinton St, Chicago, IL 60616, United States
• Think Latitude - 400 N La Salle Dr Apt 4010, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• TEAMS Design - 1812 W Hubbard St #200, Chicago, IL 60622, United States
• Design In Chicago - 159 N Sangamon St Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

For a university spinout turning technical research into a first commercial story, I’d prioritize firms that can do more than make a pretty website. You want someone who can translate science into a credible value proposition, define an MVP narrative, and make the website + investor deck + product story feel like one system.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — probably my first call

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-525-9258)

This is unusually well aligned with a university spinout. Sandbox combines branding, strategy, web development and communication design, and its work is specifically oriented toward higher education and scientific/research organizations. Pixalpha Studio

Why I'd consider them:

• Comfortable translating complex research into accessible communication
• Higher-ed and research experience
• Can handle identity + website rather than treating the site as an isolated marketing project
• Likely a good fit if the spinout still has some institutional/academic DNA

Best for: research-heavy technology where credibility and explanation matter as much as startup polish.

2. Grand Studio — best if the "MVP" is actually a digital product

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-819-2030)

Grand Studio is more of a product strategy/UX consultancy than a conventional branding shop. Its work spans research, product strategy, MVP definition, UX/UI, prototyping and digital product design.

I'd seriously consider them if by "MVP website" you mean a functional product experience/prototype, rather than primarily a marketing site.

Best for: figuring out what the product should actually be before spending money building it.

3. Sandstorm Design — strong research-to-digital fit

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 773-348-4200)

Sandstorm emphasizes UX research, usability testing, information architecture, digital strategy and engineering, with a research-driven approach. SPARK

That's attractive for a university spinout because you may have several audiences—scientists, technical buyers, investors, industry partners—and need to discover what each needs to understand.

Best for: a complex technology that needs user research and a sophisticated website/product experience.

4. IDEO Chicago — strongest "venture/product strategy" option, but potentially overkill

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-869-6000)

IDEO is the heavyweight option. Its Chicago studio works across product/service/experience design, prototyping, brand and communication design.

I'd talk to them if the technology is genuinely novel and you're still working through commercialization, customer problem, product definition and positioning, rather than simply needing a site.

Best for: ambitious spinouts with meaningful commercialization uncertainty and a reasonable design budget.

5. Vault Innovation — good if you need design and actual MVP development

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-298-9598)

Vault combines UX/product design with full-stack web application development, including work aimed at founders building MVPs.

That makes them interesting if you need to go:

research → product concept → prototype → working MVP

rather than:

research → marketing website.

Best for: software/AI/data products where the website and MVP may ultimately become the same thing.

6. Bluedog Design — strong strategic positioning option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-243-1101)

Bluedog is more strategy/brand/innovation oriented. It looks attractive if the fundamental challenge is "What exactly are we selling, to whom, and why should they care?" before getting deep into UI.

Best for: spinouts with powerful technology but an immature commercial proposition.

7. ArtVersion® Creative Agency — practical integrated option

DirectionsWebsite[Call](tel:+1 312-837-7466)

ArtVersion offers branding, web, UX research/design and development under one roof. SPARK

I'd put them on the list if you want a single accountable team to produce the brand, site and supporting materials rather than coordinating several specialists.

One particularly interesting wildcard

Jayne Agency, LLC could be worth talking to specifically for storytelling and pitch development. Their capabilities include strategy, UX research, storytelling, communications and pitch refinement.

For a spinout, that's valuable because the hardest part may not be visual design—it may be turning:

"Here is an important piece of research we've developed"

into:

"Here is a painful commercial problem, here is our proprietary solution, here is why it works, here is the market, and here is what we're building."

And there's a very relevant precedent

A good example of the kind of work I'd want your studio to emulate is Firebelly's work for the SPARK Center at DePaul. They combined research/strategy, branding, web and experience design to translate a technical, data-oriented research organization into a compelling public-facing identity. Firebelly Design

There's also a particularly relevant Chicago case study from independent designer Colleen Arturi: she helped Modest, a technically complex startup whose product was still being developed, clarify its value proposition, brand story, website and pitch deck. The work explicitly included mapping the investor/customer journey and translating technical complexity into a coherent market narrative. Colleen Arturi Brand Strategist

And on the startup side, Jointley is worth looking at even though it's not the conventional Chicago design-agency choice: it explicitly specializes in founder pitch decks + websites + product design, including a "raise-ready" sprint combining an investor deck and landing page. Jointley

How I'd narrow it

If it were my project, I'd interview 4: Sandbox, Grand Studio, Sandstorm, and Jointley. They represent four quite different approaches, which should make the right answer apparent quickly.

One important thing I'd put in the brief: don't ask for "a website and pitch deck." Ask for a research-to-market narrative and MVP commercialization package, with deliverables such as positioning, audience/persona definition, messaging hierarchy, product/MVP narrative, landing site, investor deck, diagrams/visualizations of the technology, and a reusable visual system. That framing will attract much better partners.

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d bias toward firms that can do more than “make a nice website”: you want someone who can translate technical research into a credible commercial story, define an MVP, and make the company legible to investors, partners, and early customers.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

My top 4 for a university spinout

1. Dolce Vita Studio — if the Indicia Labs precedent is representative.
This is the one I'd investigate first. The Indicia case is almost exactly the problem you're describing: technical/academic innovation that needs to become understandable and commercially credible. They produced the brand + website + pitch deck as one system. www.dolcevita.studio

2. LOWERCASE — if the technology is genuinely complicated.
Their positioning around distilling complex information and combining business thinking with sophisticated design is a good match for research commercialization. lowercaseinc.com

3. LaunchPad Lab — if the “MVP website” needs to actually do something.
I'd choose them over a pure branding shop if you're building, say, a software interface, technical demo, customer workflow, data visualization, or other interactive MVP. Their process explicitly includes product strategy, stakeholder/user research, design and engineering. launchpadlab.com

4. Futurehaus — if fundraising is the immediate priority.
They can cover website, brand, narrative, content and fundraising/pitch decks under one roof, which could reduce the coordination burden on a very early spinout. futurehaus.studio

One important distinction

I'd not start by asking these firms for “a website and pitch deck.”

I'd give the selected shop a brief like:

Translate a university-developed technology into a credible commercial proposition, define the minimum viable product/story, and create a visual/narrative system that works across the website, investor deck and customer conversations.

The deliverables I'd want are roughly:

1. Positioning & narrative — problem, insight, technology, why now, differentiation.
2. MVP definition — what the first product actually is and isn't.
3. Visual identity — enough brand to look like a real company, without spending months on branding.
4. Interactive/product prototype — ideally something you can put in front of customers/investors.
5. Marketing website — usually 5–8 highly purposeful pages rather than a giant corporate site.
6. Investor deck — ~12–15 slides, built around the commercial story rather than the university/research story.
7. Reusable visual system — diagrams, technical illustrations, product screenshots, charts, etc., so future materials don't require the agency every time.

I'd also specifically ask each shop to show you 2–3 examples where they made a complex technology understandable to a non-technical audience, rather than just asking for their prettiest web work.

If you tell me what the spinout does (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, medtech, climate, robotics), its stage, and roughly what budget you have, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms I'd actually interview, including what I'd ask each one and what I think each is likely to be strongest/weakest at.

• Sandbox Studio, Chicago - 1608 W Cornelia Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, United States
• TXI - 10 S Riverside Plaza Ste 875 - #7670, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• Intechnic Corporation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• UX 4Sight - 111 W Jackson Blvd Unit 1700, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Grand Studio - 444 N Wells St #501, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
• Vault Innovation - 20 N Wacker Dr Ste 1200, Chicago, IL 60606, United States
• UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures - 6030 S Ellis Ave #2S, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• Polsky Center, Chicago Booth - 5807 S Woodlawn Ave #207, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
• mHUB - 1623 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL 60612, United States
• Lipman-Hearne - 200 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60604
• UIC Innovation Center - 1240 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60607, United States
• Eight Bit Studios - 1 E Erie St, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
• Fuzzy Math - 811 W Evergreen Ave #305, Chicago, IL 60642, United States
• IA Collaborative - 218 S Wabash Ave 9th Floor, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• iD Lab - 243 S Wabash Ave, Chicago, IL 60604, United States
• Highland - 125 S Clark St Ste 670, Chicago, IL 60603, United States

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d look for a studio that can do more than make a pretty site: you want someone who can translate technical research into a credible commercial narrative, establish an early brand, build a sharp MVP site, and turn the same story into an investor/customer deck.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — probably my first call for a research-heavy spinout.

This is unusually relevant because Sandbox explicitly works with scientific research organizations and universities, with clients including Argonne, Fermilab, Northwestern and UChicago. Its capabilities include branding, information visualization, animation and digital work.
Best for: deep-tech/science where explaining the underlying research is a major part of the commercial story.

2. TXI — best if the “MVP website” may evolve into an actual product.

TXI combines research, product strategy, UX/design and software engineering, with a strong human-centered/discovery orientation. That makes it attractive if you need to validate the product proposition rather than simply build a marketing site.
Best for: software, data/AI, complex workflows, or a spinout where product design and commercialization are intertwined.

3. Intechnic Corporation — particularly interesting for health/life sciences.

They emphasize UX research, information architecture, UI and web development for complex environments, with particular experience in healthcare, pharma and life sciences.
Best for: biotech/medtech or technically sophisticated products where credibility and usability matter.

4. UX 4Sight — good if customer discovery and validation are central.

Their offering combines UX/UI with user research, usability testing, wireframing and conversion-oriented web design.
Best for: a team still figuring out exactly how the research becomes a product and who the first customer is.

5. Grand Studio — strong strategic/product-design option.

They're focused on human-centered design, research, product strategy and digital experiences, which is useful when the commercialization problem is still ambiguous.
Best for: complicated technologies that need to be reframed around a clear user/customer problem.

6. Vault Innovation — worth considering for a more execution-oriented engagement.

They work with founders and small teams on product discovery, UX/UI, prototypes and software development, connecting design to implementation.
Best for: getting from concept → prototype → functioning MVP without bringing several vendors together.

One especially interesting nontraditional option

Jointley is worth putting on the shortlist even though I wouldn't restrict the search to Chicago firms. It is explicitly founder-oriented and offers pitch decks, branding, product design and websites, including a “Raise-Ready Sprint” combining an investor deck and landing page. Jointley

For a spinout that needs to raise money soon, that's a very compelling packaging of the work.

If the pitch deck is a major part of the assignment

I'd also look at Futurehaus. Its offering explicitly includes fundraising/pitch decks, brand identity, websites, campaign content and messaging, rather than treating the website and deck as unrelated deliverables. It says most projects start at $10K+. Futurehaus

Launch Deck is another specialist option: it focuses specifically on startups/scaleups, investor communications, branding and product design, and advertises pitch-deck and web-design engagements. Launch Deck

My ranking for your specific use case

One other thing I'd do before hiring anyone: ask the university's tech-transfer/entrepreneurship office for introductions. For example, UChicagoTech | University of Chicago Center for Technology Development & Ventures specifically supports commercialization, licensing and startup formation, while Polsky Center, Chicago Booth supports university entrepreneurship. They may know which local design/product firms have actually worked with university IP rather than simply marketing themselves to startups.

If you tell me what kind of research spinout it is (AI/software, biotech, materials, climate, medical device, etc.), approximate budget ($5–10k, $10–25k, $25–50k+), and whether the immediate goal is fundraising or landing pilot customers, I can narrow this to 3 firms and explain exactly why I'd interview each one.

For a university spinout, I would look less for a general branding shop and more for a partner that can translate deep technical research → credible market story → investor/customer-facing product experience. The ideal team can help with:

• positioning and messaging (“why this matters now”)
• MVP website / landing page
• product UX and prototype
• investor pitch deck
• diagrams, technical storytelling, and visuals
• credibility signals for investors, grant programs, and early adopters

My shortlist in Chicago:

Best fits for a research-to-product spinout

1. Jointley

Best for: seed-stage spinout needing a fast investor-ready package

Why I’d consider them:

• Explicitly focused on founders: pitch decks, websites, product design, and launch materials. Jointley
• Their model is closer to a venture design partner than a traditional agency.
• Good fit if you need a polished “we are a real company now” transition.

Best engagement:

• 2–6 week sprint: - positioning
• brand identity
• investor deck
• landing page
• MVP UX concepts

jointley.com

2. Grand Studio

Best for: science/engineering-heavy products where user understanding matters

Why:

• Stronger on product strategy, research, UX, and complex digital experiences than pure visual branding.
• A good match if the spinout needs to figure out: - who the first customer is
• what the MVP actually does
• what workflows to prototype

Best engagement:

• discovery sprint → prototype → MVP product experience

3. Highland Solutions

Best for: enterprise, healthcare, deep tech, or B2B spinouts

Why:

• They emphasize human-centered product design, research, prototyping, and lean startup methods. Highland Solutions
• Useful if your first customers are institutions rather than consumers.

Best engagement:

• customer discovery
• product definition
• clickable prototype
• MVP roadmap

4. Bright Bright Great

Best for: brand + website + communications credibility

Why:

• They combine brand strategy, identity, UX, web design, and digital experiences. Bright Bright Great
• Good if the technology is strong but the story is not yet understandable to outsiders.

Best engagement:

• company narrative
• visual identity
• website
• pitch collateral

5. PUSH Studio

Best for: university-affiliated teams wanting research/design rigor

Why:

• Their work includes UX design, user research, prototypes, design sprints, and emerging technology projects. SPARK
• The academic connection may make them comfortable working with faculty founders and research teams.

If it is a hardware, biotech, medtech, or scientific instrument spinout

Consider:

MNML

Good for:

• physical products
• industrial design
• product experience
• turning prototypes into market-ready offerings

TEAMS Design

Good for:

• engineering-heavy products
• product development
• prototyping and commercialization support

My ranking by spinout stage

A useful first deliverable to commission is not just “a website”. I would ask for a venture narrative package:

1. one-page company story
2. investor deck
3. product explainer visuals
4. MVP website
5. clickable prototype of the first user workflow

That gives investors, advisors, and early customers something concrete to react to.

If you share the spinout’s field (AI, biotech, materials, climate, robotics, medical device, etc.), funding stage, and whether the MVP is software or hardware, I can narrow this to 3–4 best matches.

If you share the spinout’s field (AI, biotech, materials, climate, robotics, medical device, etc.), funding stage, and whether the MVP is software or hardware, I can narrow this to 3–4 best matches.

Yes. For a university spinout translating research/IP into a credible commercial MVP, I’d prioritize firms that can do more than make things pretty: they need to turn technical complexity into a clear product story, define an MVP, build a credible website, and make the investor narrative coherent.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — probably my first call

This is unusually well aligned with a university spinout because its work spans branding, strategy, web development, and communication design, with particular experience around higher education and scientific/research organizations.

Best for: research-heavy technology where the challenge is explaining why the science matters commercially.
Ask them for: a combined research-to-market narrative, brand, MVP website, diagrams/visualizations, and investor materials.

2. Khoj Lab LLC - Research, Design and Strategy for Innovation — best for figuring out the product before designing it

Khoj is particularly interesting if you're still working through who the customer is, what the first product should be, and how the underlying research becomes a commercial proposition. It combines strategic research, business/technology/design thinking, opportunity framing and roadmapping.

Best for: an early spinout where the MVP definition is still fuzzy.
Potential limitation: I'd clarify whether they'll actually execute the website/deck or whether you'd need a second partner.

3. LaunchPad Lab — best if "MVP" means an actual functioning product

LaunchPad is more of a digital product studio than a branding shop, with strategy, UX/UI, user research, product roadmapping and software development under one roof.

Best for: a spinout where the website needs to evolve into an actual web application/product.
Tradeoff: probably less specialized in investor storytelling than the presentation/brand specialists below.

4. Vault Innovation — good pragmatic MVP option

Vault works with founders and small teams to turn ideas into working software, combining product discovery, UX/UI, prototyping and development.

Best for: getting from research concept → clickable prototype → functional MVP relatively directly.

5. IA Collaborative — best high-end strategic/design option

IA is a serious human-centered innovation consultancy, with research, product/experience design and strategy capabilities.

Best for: a technically sophisticated spinout with substantial institutional backing, complicated stakeholders, or a product that could ultimately become a significant platform.
Caveat: I'd expect it to be considerably more expensive and potentially more enterprise-oriented than you need for a first MVP.

For the pitch deck specifically

If you already have the product strategy nailed down and mainly need investor-grade storytelling/design, I'd supplement rather than hire a full product agency.

• VerdanaBold Presentation Design — very focused on high-stakes presentations, including investor/pitch decks, storytelling, data visualization and content refinement.
• Presentora Designs — presentation-focused, including pitch decks and educational/technical presentations.
• Talina Design — smaller/boutique option with a strong emphasis on strategic pitch-deck communication.

There are also startup-specialist studios worth considering even though they're not necessarily Chicago-local. Jointley, for example, explicitly combines pitch decks, branding, product design and websites, including a short "raise-ready" sprint. www.jointley.com Futurehaus similarly combines brand identity, websites, fundraising/pitch decks and messaging, though it indicates that most projects start at $10K+. futurehaus.studio

How I'd choose

For a university spinout, I'd rank them roughly:

My preferred setup would be Sandbox or Khoj for the initial 2–4 week product/story sprint, followed by LaunchPad/Vault if there is meaningful software to build. If fundraising is imminent, I'd make the pitch deck a parallel workstream rather than leave it until the end.

One important thing I'd put in the RFP: "We don't want a university/lab website." You want a site that makes a skeptical customer or investor understand, in ~30 seconds: problem → breakthrough → product → evidence → customer → business model → why now. That's a very different design brief.

If you tell me the research area (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, climate, medtech), approximate budget, and whether the MVP is primarily a website or an actual software/hardware product, I can narrow this to the 3 Chicago firms I'd actually interview, including what I'd ask each one and likely engagement structure.

Yes. For a university spinout turning research into an MVP, I’d prioritize firms that can translate technical material into a credible commercial story—not just make a pretty website.

My Chicago shortlist

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — strongest fit for research + university context
   • Particularly interesting because its work spans branding, strategy, interactive/web development, and scientific research/higher education.
   • I’d put them near the top if the spinout still needs to figure out how to explain the research as a product/company.
   • Best for: research translation → positioning → website → communications system. www.brandvm.com

2. TXI — best if “MVP” means an actual digital product
   • More product-development consultancy than branding shop: research, product strategy, UX, design and engineering.
   • Particularly compelling if the website needs to evolve into an actual software product, rather than being purely a marketing/investor site.
   • Best for: product discovery → UX prototype → MVP build.

3. VerdanaBold Presentation Design — best deck specialist
   • Very good fit if the immediate objective is an investor/funder pitch deck. They explicitly work with tech, healthcare and education and emphasize turning complex information into clear narratives and visualizations. www.verdanabold.com
   • Best for: pitch deck, data visualization, scientific storytelling.
   • I'd potentially pair them with a web/brand studio rather than ask them to own the whole engagement.

4. Highland — best for a more substantial digital MVP
   • Stronger product/innovation orientation: research, concept creation, rapid validation, UX and software development.
   • Good choice if the spinout needs to test the product itself, not simply present the technology.

5. MNML — worth considering for hardware/deep-tech
   • Particularly interesting if the research is becoming a physical product, instrument, device or other hardware. They combine industrial design, engineering, UX and brand work.
   • Less obviously the choice for a pure software/biotech commercialization story.

Two non-Chicago-local specialists I'd also seriously consider

Venture Shape is probably the most interesting specialist I found if this is biotech/life sciences. Their positioning is explicitly about turning complex science into investor conviction, with web, fundraising and strategic work, and they list extensive biotech experience. ventureshape.com

Radian is another strong science-specific option: they combine life-science brand strategy, visual design, websites and digital experiences, explicitly working on the transition from scientific story to funding/partnership/commercial adoption. www.weareradian.comventureshape.com

If I were running the project

I'd actually avoid commissioning “a website + pitch deck” as two disconnected design projects.

For a university spinout, I'd want a 4–6 week first phase that produces:

1. Commercial narrative

• What problem does the research solve?
• Who has the problem?
• Why is this technology uniquely capable of solving it?
• What is the wedge/product?
• Why now?
• What evidence exists?
• What still needs to be proven?

2. Messaging architecture

• 10-second explanation
• 30-second explanation
• website narrative
• investor narrative
• partner/customer narrative

3. Lightweight brand

• Name/descriptor if necessary
• visual identity
• typography/color
• scientific visualization language

4. Investor website

• Probably 5–7 pages rather than a huge corporate site
• Clear problem → technology → evidence → product → market → team → CTA
• Built so the founders can update it themselves

5. Investor deck

• ~12–15 core slides
• Separate appendix for technical diligence
• Scientific figures redesigned rather than simply pasted into slides

6. Clickable product/MVP prototype

• Enough fidelity to demonstrate the future product
• User flows and interface, even if the underlying technology isn't yet fully built

That last distinction is important: the website sells the company; the prototype demonstrates the product; the deck sells the investment thesis. They should share one narrative and visual system.

My top 3 calls

If you told me nothing else about the spinout, I'd interview:

Sandbox Studio → strongest Chicago option for research/academic complexity + communications + web.

TXI → strongest if the MVP is genuinely a digital product that needs UX and engineering.

VerdanaBold → strongest specialist to bring in if the fundraising deck is a major near-term deliverable.

If it's biotech/life sciences, I'd add Venture Shape and Radian and potentially choose one of them over a generalist Chicago studio. www.weareradian.comventureshape.com

One other useful Chicago connection: the Polsky Center is actively commercializing UChicago research across areas including quantum, life sciences, energy and AI, so its network may be a particularly useful source of referrals to people who understand the university-to-startup transition. harpercourt.vc

If you tell me what the research is (e.g. biotech, AI, materials, climate, medical device), whether the MVP is software or hardware, and roughly what budget you're thinking ($10k / $25k / $50k+), I can narrow this to 3 firms and tell you exactly what I'd ask each one to propose.

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d bias toward studios that can translate technical/research-heavy material into a credible commercial story—not just make a nice website.

My Chicago shortlist

One I'd put at the top

Sandbox Studio would be my first conversation if this is genuinely a research-to-product commercialization effort. The unusual thing about them is the overlap between scientific/research communication, higher education, information architecture and digital execution. That's much closer to your problem than a generic startup branding shop. www.teramok.us

I'd also talk to LaunchPad Lab if you need something more interactive than a marketing site. Their discovery → UX → prototype → engineering model could make sense if the MVP itself needs to demonstrate a workflow or product experience.

Also worth looking beyond the obvious Chicago agencies

There are two specialized options I'd seriously investigate:

• ruef Creative — not necessarily my first choice purely on geography, but their current offering is unusually well matched to research commercialization. They explicitly work with technical founders, innovation teams and research-driven commercialization teams, translating complicated concepts into pitch decks, websites, technical explainers and commercialization materials. ruef.com
• Jointley — if speed is paramount. Their model is explicitly designed around founders, with pitch decks, branding, websites and product design; they advertise a seven-day "raise-ready" sprint combining an investor deck and landing page. ruef.comwww.jointley.compolsky.uchicago.edu

For a university spinout, I'd actually prefer a strong 2–4 week commercialization/design sprint over commissioning a giant corporate brand exercise.

What I'd ask them to produce

I'd frame the engagement as:

1. Commercial narrative
   • What problem does the research solve?
   • Who cares enough to pay?
   • Why is this technology meaningfully different?
   • What evidence/validation can we credibly show?

2. Visual identity
   • Lightweight brand system
   • Logo/type/color
   • Scientific diagrams/illustration language
   • A visual system that works in both investor decks and the web

3. MVP website
   • 4–7 pages rather than a giant corporate site
   • Clear problem → technology → proof → application → team → CTA story
   • Interactive visualization/demo if useful
   • Built so the founding team can edit it afterward

4. Pitch system
   • 10–15 slide investor deck
   • 1-page company/technology overview
   • 2–3 key technical/product diagrams
   • Optional short product/demo narrative

The important distinction is that the deck and website should emerge from the same commercialization narrative. You don't want one agency making a beautiful website while the founders separately cobble together an investor deck.

If this is a UChicago spinout, I'd also use the university ecosystem before selecting a vendor: the Polsky Center specifically supports research commercialization, startup formation, licensing and commercialization strategy, and its resources include pitch-deck development. polsky.uchicago.edu

My first three calls would be Sandbox, LaunchPad Lab, and ruef—with TEAMS added if there's a physical product component. I'd ask all three for a proposal for the same tightly scoped MVP sprint, which will make their strategic differences and pricing much easier to compare.

For a university spinout, I’d prioritize studios that can translate technical research into a credible commercial story—not just make a pretty website. I’d shortlist these:

1. Sandbox Studio — strongest fit for research-heavy spinouts
   • This would be my first call if the technology is deep tech, scientific, climate, energy, engineering, or otherwise research-intensive.
   • They explicitly specialize in higher education and scientific research institutions, and their portfolio includes Argonne, Fermilab, UChicago, NANOGrav, fusion research, and other science organizations. Their capabilities span branding, interactive/web, strategy, and communications. sandboxstudio.net
   • Particularly good if the challenge is: "How do we make sophisticated research understandable and commercially compelling?"

2. Jointley — strongest startup/MVP option
   • Very good match if you want someone to go beyond the marketing site into MVP/product design.
   • They offer pitch decks, branding, product design, websites, and engineering, and explicitly position their work around founders and early-stage companies. They also offer a short "Raise-Ready Sprint" combining an investor deck and landing page. www.jointley.com
   • I'd favor them if you're trying to get from research → investor narrative → clickable product → launch site quickly.

3. Dolce Vita Studio — particularly interesting for AI/data-science spinouts
   • They have a very relevant case study for Indicia Labs, an AI/data-science company explicitly described as transforming academic research into real-world innovation.
   • The engagement included brand identity, website, and investor pitch deck, with an emphasis on making complex technical ideas accessible while retaining credibility. www.dolcevita.studiofuturehaus.studio
   • This is probably the closest portfolio precedent I'd want to see if your spinout is AI/software/data-heavy.

4. Futurehaus — good for a more strategic/mission-driven story
   • Chicago-based since 2010, with work spanning strategy, design, technology and software. Their experience includes education, climate, public health, and other complex mission-driven domains. futurehaus.studio
   • I'd consider them if the spinout needs to establish a category, narrative, and broader institutional credibility, rather than simply ship an MVP site.

5. Wallflowers Club — good smaller-studio option
   • They explicitly work with entrepreneurs and startups and offer brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, website design, pitch decks and presentations. www.wallflowersclub.com
   • Potentially attractive if you need a relatively lean engagement rather than a larger agency.

One unusual option: UChicago Creative

If the spinout originates at UChicago, I'd also investigate UChicago Creative as a possible resource or referral point. They have capabilities across brand positioning, storytelling, visual identity, websites, infographics and presentations, and understand university research environments unusually well. creative.uchicago.edu

The caveat is that they're fundamentally a university creative organization, so I'd think of them more as a research-to-storytelling/brand resource than as the company I'd hire to build a startup product MVP.

My ranking for your specific job

If I were running the spinout, I'd interview Sandbox, Jointley, and Dolce Vita first. They're differentiated enough that the conversations should quickly reveal what kind of partner you actually need.

One thing I'd not do is hire a conventional university web-design shop solely because they understand academia. The deliverable needs to make a transition from "interesting research" → "valuable technology" → "specific customer/problem" → "credible product" → "investable company." That's a very different design problem from building a faculty lab or university-center website.

If you tell me the technology/field (e.g. biotech, materials, AI, climate, medtech), the target customer, and roughly how much you want to spend, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms and give you a recommended scope + likely budget range for the MVP/deck engagement.

For a university spinout turning research into a market-facing MVP, I’d prioritize shops that can do more than make a pretty website: you want technical storytelling, investor credibility, product UX, and the ability to translate complex science into a simple narrative.

My Chicago-area shortlist:

How I’d narrow it down

If you are pre-seed and need to raise money soon

1. Jointley
2. DROY Studio
3. ArtVersion

If you have a hard-to-explain technology (AI, biotech, materials, climate, medical device, etc.)

1. DROY Studio
2. Concentric Design
3. ArtVersion

If you need the first commercial website + product UX

1. Jointley
2. ArtVersion
3. Design In Chicago

What I would ask for in the first engagement

Rather than commissioning “a website,” I’d scope a 4–8 week commercialization design sprint:

1. Research translation
   • customer/problem narrative
   • competitive positioning
   • value proposition
   • investor/customer messaging

2. MVP website
   • landing page
   • product explainer
   • technical credibility pages
   • demo/request-access flow

3. Pitch package
   • investor deck
   • partner/customer deck
   • one-pager
   • diagrams/technical illustrations

4. Design system
   • brand identity
   • typography/colors
   • slide templates
   • reusable web components

For a university spinout, I’d avoid a traditional branding-only agency unless they have startup or technology commercialization experience. The hardest part is usually not visual design—it is turning a research breakthrough into a story that a customer, investor, or licensing partner understands in 30 seconds.

Yes. For a university research spinout, I’d bias toward shops that can do more than make a pretty website: you want someone who can translate technical research into a commercial story, establish enough brand credibility for an early company, and produce a website + investor deck that tell the same story.

My Chicago shortlist:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — my strongest fit for research-heavy spinouts
   • Particularly interesting because its work spans universities, scientific research organizations, information design, branding, and web/platform execution.
   • I'd shortlist them if the underlying technology is genuinely complex—biotech, materials, climate, engineering, deep tech, etc.
   • The tradeoff: they may approach the project more like sophisticated research/innovation communication than a scrappy startup sprint.

2. Design In Chicago — strongest all-in-one practical option
   • Covers branding, web, graphic design, video, and specifically pitch decks/sales presentations and one-pagers.
   • Good choice if you want one team to take you from rough university-derived identity → website → pitch materials without coordinating multiple vendors.

3. Designer and Gentleman — good startup/healthtech-style option
   • Their positioning is digital-first branding + UX/UI, and the available Chicago business evidence specifically mentions a healthtech startup pitch deck and branding materials.
   • I'd look particularly hard at them if the spinout is in healthtech/medtech or another technical market where credibility and product visualization matter.

4. Jayne Agency, LLC — strongest for positioning/story before design
   • Their emphasis is brand strategy, messaging, and pitch development.
   • This could be valuable if the biggest problem isn't the website itself but turning a professor's/research team's explanation into an investor/customer narrative.

5. Cultivate Brands — broader strategic/brand partner
   • Combines brand strategy, design systems, digital products, web/app development and content.
   • Worth considering if you're expecting the initial MVP identity to become a more substantial company brand.

One non-Chicago option I'd seriously consider

DROY Studio is worth putting on the competitive bid even though I wouldn't limit the search to Chicago. Their explicit positioning is translating complex technical ideas into fundable stories, with branding, investor/demo-day decks, consulting and websites. Their portfolio includes startup investor decks and product/demo work. www.droystudio.com

Similarly, Jointley has an unusually tight package for exactly this stage: a raise-ready sprint combining an investor deck and landing page, followed by product design/brand/site work. www.jointley.com

How I'd actually run the selection

I'd ask Sandbox, Design In Chicago, Designer and Gentleman, and DROY for proposals against the same brief:

Research → commercial narrative → MVP website → investor deck

And I'd ask for these five deliverables:

• Positioning/message architecture — what the technology does, for whom, and why now
• Lightweight visual identity — enough to look credible, not a $100k corporate rebrand
• 5–8 page MVP website — ideally with a strong technical/product story and clear CTA
• 10–15 slide investor deck — designed around the actual fundraising narrative
• Reusable visual system — diagrams, figures, product illustrations, charts and templates the founders can keep using

The key question I'd ask every shop is: “Show us a project where you had to turn technically complicated or research-derived IP into a simple commercial story.” That's much more diagnostic than asking whether they can build a nice website.

If you tell me what kind of university spinout this is (biotech, AI, materials, climate, medtech, etc.), its stage, and roughly what you're willing to spend, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms and give you a recommended scope/budget for each.

For a university spinout moving from research → commercial MVP, I would prioritize studios that can do more than “make it look good.” The ideal partner should help translate technical insight into a credible market story:

1. Positioning + narrative (why this matters, who buys it)
2. MVP website / product experience (validation, waitlist, pilots, demos)
3. Investor / partner pitch materials (deck, one-pagers, demo visuals)
4. Scientific credibility without overwhelming non-technical audiences

Here are Chicago-area firms I’d shortlist:

My top 3 depending on spinout stage

If you have a paper/patent and need to become investor-ready:

1. Jointley
2. Futurehaus
3. One Design Company

If you have a technical prototype and need product-market discovery:

1. Grand Studio
2. IA Collaborative
3. IDEO Chicago IDEO Chicago

If it is a hardware / biotech instrument / scientific device:

1. MNML
2. TEAMS Design
3. IDEO Chicago

What I would ask them to deliver (rather than just “a website”)

A good first engagement might be a 4–8 week commercialization sprint:

• Brand positioning workshop
• Customer/user interviews
• Competitive landscape visual
• Messaging framework
• MVP landing page + prototype flows
• Investor deck redesign
• Technical demo visuals
• One-page partner/customer brief
• Design system the internal team can keep using

For a university spinout, I’d avoid hiring a traditional marketing agency first. The hard problem is usually translation: turning a breakthrough into a story that a customer, investor, or licensing partner immediately understands.

If you share the field (AI, biotech, materials, robotics, climate, medical device, etc.), the spinout stage (idea/prototype/pilots/revenue), and budget range, I can narrow this to 3–5 firms and suggest an engagement structure.

For a university spinout turning research into a commercial MVP, I’d prioritize shops that can do more than make things look polished: you want someone who can translate technical research into a credible product story, define the MVP experience, build the website, and make the investor deck feel like one coherent narrative.

My Chicago shortlist:

Two I'd talk to first

1. Sandbox Studio — if this is genuinely a university/research spinout.

This is the unusual case where their institutional/scientific experience is actually an advantage rather than a drawback. Their portfolio includes work for Argonne, Fermilab, UChicago, the Becker Friedman Institute and Chicago Innovation Exchange, and they explicitly specialize in helping scientific and higher-ed organizations communicate complex ideas. sandboxstudio.net

I'd ask them whether they've done work where the goal was to move from "academic research project" to "commercial venture", rather than simply producing an institutional research site.

2. Highland — if you mean a real product MVP.

Their offering goes from research and product strategy through UX/UI, prototyping, software development and launch. That makes them more appropriate if you need someone to help answer "What should we actually build?" and then build it, rather than just package an already-defined product.

One wildcard: a pitch/deck specialist

If the immediate goal is fundraising, I'd also look at Launch Deck. They explicitly position themselves around startup/scaleup branding, investor communications and product design, and cite work for deep-tech startups including GPU Audio; their pitch-deck service starts at $2,000. www.launchdeck.space

That's potentially a better choice than a traditional Chicago agency if you already know the product and mainly need "make this investable."

There's also a very relevant precedent in Dolce Vita Studio's work for Indicia Labs: brand identity + website + investor pitch deck for an AI/data-science startup whose premise was explicitly turning academic research into real-world innovation. www.dolcevita.studio That's unusually close to the problem you're describing.

How I'd frame the RFP

I'd avoid asking simply for "a website and pitch deck." I'd ask for a 6–10 week research-to-MVP engagement with:

1. Commercial positioning — translate the research/IP into a simple customer problem and value proposition.
2. MVP definition — target users, core workflow, product concept and what not to build.
3. Product prototype — clickable Figma prototype sufficient for customer/investor conversations.
4. Brand foundation — name treatment, visual identity, typography, scientific/technical visualization language.
5. Launch website — ideally something the founding team can update themselves.
6. Investor deck — narrative, diagrams, product visuals and traction/market story.
7. Reusable system — components and visual assets so the spinout isn't dependent on the agency for every future slide.

The key interview question I'd use is:

"Show us a project where you had to take something technically sophisticated or research-derived and make it understandable and commercially compelling to a non-expert buyer or investor."

That will separate the genuinely relevant firms from generic Chicago web agencies very quickly.

My ranking for your specific brief: Sandbox → Highland → Grand Studio → Khoj Lab → Launch Deck, with IDEO/IA Collaborative if budget is substantial and the product strategy is genuinely difficult.

Yes. For a university spinout, I’d look less for a conventional Chicago branding agency and more for a team that can translate technical research → commercial story → credible MVP → investor narrative.

My shortlist would be:

1. Colab — probably my first call if the spinout is genuinely at the research-to-product stage. They explicitly combine strategy, product/UI design, rapid prototyping, websites, fundraising strategy and pitch materials, and say they have worked with 100+ companies and helped portfolio companies raise $300M+. www.colab.la

Best for: turning an academic technology into something investors/customers can actually see and interact with.

2. Splash Creative — particularly compelling for biotech, life sciences and deep tech. Their Luminova case study is almost exactly the problem you're describing: taking technically dense science and restructuring it into a coherent brand + website + investor deck. splashcreative.com

Best for: science-heavy university IP where the core challenge is making sophisticated research understandable and investable.

3. Image Conscious Studios / Petri — a strong choice if this is biotech/life sciences. Their biotech practice explicitly covers branding, websites, scientific visualization and presentation decks, while Petri is positioned as an MVP-oriented package for early-stage biotech companies. www.icscreative.com

Best for: a polished biotech launch package without prematurely building a huge corporate brand.

4. Bossa Design Studio — I'd investigate this one if the spinout is AI, robotics, neurotech, hardware or another technically complex product. Their Afference project involved translating highly technical neurotechnology into a Series A pitch narrative, including message architecture and investor positioning. www.bossadesign.studio

Best for: research-heavy technology where product UX and narrative need to be developed together.

5. Futurehaus — broader and more established, but interesting if you need more than a website/deck. They offer brand identity, websites/apps, interactive experiences, fundraising/pitch decks, copywriting and technology implementation; they also disclose that projects generally start around $10K+. futurehaus.studio

Best for: a somewhat larger engagement where the MVP website may evolve into the company's longer-term digital platform.

6. Design Stack — a particularly interesting specialist if this is medtech/medical device/digital health/diagnostics. They're Chicago-based and combine senior product design with research, IP and freedom-to-operate considerations. design-stack.net

Best for: physical or regulated products where the design process needs to account for IP, users and commercialization—not just visual polish.

How I'd narrow it

One particularly relevant signal is that Indicia Labs, an AI/data-science company explicitly built around translating academic research into real-world innovation, used a Chicago creative collaboration for its brand identity, website and investor pitch deck. www.bossadesign.studiodesign-stack.netwww.dolcevita.studio

I would not start by asking these firms for "a website and pitch deck." I'd brief them on a broader problem:

"We have defensible university research/IP and need to turn it into a credible commercial narrative, an MVP-level digital experience, and an investor/customer-ready visual system."

That framing should attract the strategists who can help with the translation, rather than agencies that simply make a nice website.

If you tell me what the spinout does (e.g. biotech, AI, materials, climate, medtech), its university, and roughly whether you're pre-seed/pre-product or already have a prototype, I can narrow this to 3 Chicago firms I'd actually interview, including relevant case studies, likely engagement model/budget, and what I'd ask each one in the first call.

For a university spinout (especially a deep-tech, biotech, materials, AI, robotics, or scientific instrumentation company), I would prioritize shops that can do more than “make a pretty website.” You want a partner who can translate a research breakthrough into:

• a credible investor narrative
• a clear product story
• an MVP website that converts scientists/customers/partners
• a pitch deck that explains the technology without overwhelming non-technical audiences
• a visual identity that feels venture-backable

A few Chicago-area firms I’d shortlist:

My likely shortlist by spinout stage

Pre-seed / just licensed university IP

1. Anomali by Design
2. Concentric Design
3. Design In Chicago

Goal: clarify the story, create a credible landing page, investor deck, and first customer-facing materials.

Seed round / raising institutional capital

1. ArtVersion
2. Clique Studios
3. Concentric Design

Goal: build a polished brand system, website, product narrative, and investor/customer experience.

Hardware, medtech, robotics, advanced materials

1. MNML
2. SO Dsgn
3. Clique Studios

Goal: connect engineering reality with market-facing product design.

What I would ask them to deliver (rather than just “a website”)

A strong engagement brief would request:

1. Positioning workshop
   • Who is the first buyer?
   • What painful problem does the research solve?
   • Why now?
   • Why is this team uniquely credible?

2. Messaging system
   • One-line description
   • 30-second pitch
   • Technical explanation
   • Investor narrative
   • Customer narrative

3. MVP website
   • Homepage
   • Problem/solution
   • Technology explanation
   • Team credibility
   • Applications/use cases
   • Contact/demo funnel

4. Fundraising materials
   • 10–15 slide investor deck
   • Product diagrams
   • Market story
   • Competitive landscape visuals
   • Demo visuals

For a university spinout, I would avoid firms that mainly do consumer branding unless they have strong B2B/technology storytelling examples. The biggest risk is making something that looks polished but fails to explain why the invention matters.

For a university spinout turning research into a credible commercial MVP, I’d prioritize firms that can do more than make things look good: they need to translate technical research into a simple product story, establish early brand credibility, build a lean site, and make the pitch deck and website feel like one narrative.

My Chicago shortlist would be:

1. Sandbox Studio, Chicago — strongest fit for university/research-heavy spinouts
   • This is probably my first call if the underlying technology is complex or research-led.
   • They specifically work across higher education and scientific research, combining communication design, strategy, branding and web development.
   • Particularly good if you need to translate "years of research" into something understandable to investors, customers and partners.
   • Best for: university affiliation + scientific credibility + sophisticated storytelling.

2. Futurehaus — best all-around brand + digital partner
   • They combine strategy, brand identity, websites/digital experiences, storytelling and fundraising/pitch decks rather than treating these as separate projects. futurehaus.studio
   • Their published starting point is $10K+, so they're more appropriate if you have a meaningful initial budget.
   • Best for: creating the initial company identity and a polished MVP site that can grow with the venture.

3. Designer and Gentleman — good lean/startup option
   • Interesting because the local evidence specifically mentions a healthtech startup pitch deck and branding materials, with fast turnaround.
   • I'd investigate them if speed and a relatively lightweight engagement matter more than building a large brand system.
   • Best for: early-stage brand + deck + website without an enormous agency process.

4. Design In Chicago — good if you want one team to execute everything
   • They combine branding, web strategy/design/development, digital marketing, video and other creative work. designinchicago.com
   • That makes them attractive if the "MVP website" actually needs to be a functioning marketing/growth site rather than just a beautifully designed front end.
   • Best for: execution-heavy projects where you don't want to coordinate multiple vendors.

5. LaunchPad Lab — best if "MVP" means an actual digital product
   • This is the one I'd add if you're using MVP literally: product discovery → UX research → prototype → software build.
   • They specialize in digital product strategy, UX/UI, user research and building digital products.
   • Best for: a spinout where the website is really the first interface to a software product, not merely a marketing site.

6. Chykalophia — interesting B2B/research translation option
   • They combine brand strategy, UX research, web development and data visualization/presentation design, including investor pitch decks.
   • That combination could work particularly well for a technical B2B spinout whose story depends on data, evidence and diagrams.
   • Best for: technical B2B + data-heavy storytelling.

One specialist I'd also look at

Petri / Image Conscious Studios is unusually well aligned with the type of problem you're describing. Their offering is explicitly built around early-stage biotech: brand + lightweight website + investor/business-development decks, with examples including Agrospheres, Solu and nChroma Bio. designinchicago.competri.icscreative.com

They're not Chicago-specific based on what I found, so I wouldn't restrict the search geographically if the spinout is biotech/life sciences. For a serious research commercialization project, domain expertise may matter more than having the studio physically in Chicago.

How I'd narrow it

One other useful benchmark is Bossa Design's Afference work: they took a technically complex neurotechnology startup, structured its Series A narrative, simplified the science for investors, then extended that story into the website. That's almost exactly the research → understandable proposition → fundraising narrative → web experience progression I'd want from a spinout design partner. www.bossadesign.studio

My top three calls would therefore be Sandbox Studio, Futurehaus, and LaunchPad Lab—but for different reasons. If you tell me whether the spinout is biotech/life sciences, hard tech, AI/software, materials/energy, or something else, I can narrow this to 3–5 firms and compare them on relevant spinout experience, likely budget, speed, website capability, pitch-deck capability, and who I'd actually contact first.