Consultancy giant McKinsey bolts on design capability with Lunar acquisition

Management consultancy giant McKinsey & Company has bought US design firm Lunar in a move which sees McKinsey aim to grow its design capabilities.

The deal is understood to be McKinsey’s first-ever acquisition of a design company and comes after its competitor Accenture bought London-based consultancy Fjord in 2013.

Lunar was set up in 1984 and has worked on design, engineering and user-experience projects for clients including Apple, Belkin, Dell and Sony.

The consultancy says it will be keeping the Lunar name and its studios in San Francisco, Chicago, Munich and Hong Kong.

Lunar president John Edson says the deal will create “a first-ever, full-spectrum offering that combines McKinsey’s depth and impact in management consulting, business strategy and operations horsepower with Lunar’s unmatched capability in design, engineering, development and design strategy”.

Edson says: “This news is only the latest evidence that design is an essential ingredient, approach, and result for businesses that regularly deliver outstanding products and services—not to mention lasting customer relationships.”

He adds: “Design represents a powerful approach for transforming businesses into more responsive and agile organisations in an increasingly turbulent business environment.”