--- name: find-design-agency description: Use whenever the user wants to find, shortlist, vet, or enrich US design and creative agencies — graphic design, UX/UI, product design, brand identity, packaging, illustration, motion design, and creative direction. Triggers on "find me a UX/UI design agency for our SaaS product", "shortlist three brand-identity studios in NY", "packaging design firm for a CPG launch", or "pull contact info for these 10 design studio domains", even when described indirectly (brand refresh, design our app, build our visual system). Drives the ServiceGraph API (api.servicegraph.co) — a 100k+ US firm catalog filterable by industry, services, location, size, ratings. Defer to find-marketing-agency for marketing-led engagements where design is one of several services. Defer to find-web-developer when the deliverable is a built website. Skip in-house designer hires, "design me a logo" DIY asks, design-software comparisons, consumer/personal-design (weddings, hobby projects), non-US firms, individual freelancers. version: "0.3.0" allowed-tools: - Bash(curl:*) - mcp__servicegraph__list_fields - mcp__servicegraph__list_field_values - mcp__servicegraph__check_filter - mcp__servicegraph__translate_intent - mcp__servicegraph__search_dataset - mcp__servicegraph__get_row - mcp__servicegraph__unlock_rows - mcp__servicegraph__get_credit_balance author: Artur Briugeman license: MIT compatibility: Designed for Claude Code tags: [design, creative, agencies, lead-generation, servicegraph] metadata: api_base: https://api.servicegraph.co dataset_id: pro_services industry: design_creative --- # find-design-agency ## Overview Drive the **ServiceGraph API** (`https://api.servicegraph.co`) to find, shortlist, and enrich US design and creative agencies via the `pro_services` dataset. The catalog tags firms with `industry:design_creative` and a ~13-tag service sub-taxonomy spanning graphic design, UX/UI, product design, brand identity, packaging, illustration, motion, and creative direction. **Always pin `industry:design_creative`.** Sub-disciplines are typically structured `service_provided` tags (`graphic-design`, `ui-ux-design`, `product-design`, `branding`, etc.). Two known drifts: the UX/UI tag is **`ui-ux-design`**, not `ux-ui-design`; and there is **no `industrial-design` tag** — use `product-design` plus a hardware keyword. Confirm exact names via `/v1/datasets/pro_services/fields?include_values=1`. Any HTTP client works (curl, fetch, requests). Examples below use curl. ## Sibling skills — defer when scope is different - **Marketing-led engagements** where design is one of several services (PR + content + paid + design) → `find-marketing-agency`. This skill is for **design-led** engagements where the design work IS the primary deliverable. - **Build-the-website work** (coded marketing site, ecommerce, custom CMS) → `find-web-developer`. Design agencies often partner with web devs; if the user wants the built artifact, fire web-developer. - **Custom software with design needs** (SaaS app, internal tool) → `find-software-developer` when the deliverable is software. Pure design (Figma files, brand systems, print collateral) stays here. ## When NOT to use this skill - **Consumer/personal design** — weddings, hobby projects, Etsy side projects, custom holiday cards, personal portfolio sites. Catalog is B2B procurement only. - **DIY** — "design me a logo", "make me a hero illustration", "redesign my app's onboarding flow". - **In-house designer hires** (Lead Designer, UX Researcher, Brand Designer). - **Design-software product comparisons** (Figma vs Sketch vs Adobe XD, Webflow vs Framer). - **Knowledge questions** ("explain the difference between UX and UI"). - **Non-US firms** / **individual freelance designers**. ## Prerequisites - **ServiceGraph access**, either: - the **ServiceGraph MCP server** (`https://mcp.servicegraph.co`) loaded in your harness — this plugin's `.mcp.json` wires it up; OAuth 2.1 + PKCE keeps credentials in the harness sandbox — or - a **ServiceGraph API key** (`vk_…`, minted at ) available as `SERVICEGRAPH_API_KEY` in the environment or `.env.local` for the REST path (setup steps under Auth below). - An HTTP client for the REST path — the examples use `curl`. ## Instructions The loop is free-first: discovery, validation, search, and brief reads cost nothing; only unlock after the user confirms the spend. 1. Pick the call path — the ServiceGraph MCP tools if loaded, otherwise the REST flow (MCP server and Auth sections below). 2. `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/fields?include_values=1` — confirm the fields and values you plan to filter on exist. 3. Build the filter (Filter DSL below) and validate it with `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/check` — or draft it from plain English via `POST /v1/datasets/pro_services/translate-intent`. 4. `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search` — present the free brief cards and let the user pick. 5. Quote the unlock cost (10 credits per row, 30-day TTL) and get an explicit go-ahead. 6. `POST /v1/datasets/pro_services/unlocks` with the chosen apexes; report the revealed detail. 7. `GET /v1/me/credits` to report the remaining balance when asked. ### MCP server (preferred for authed calls) If your harness has the ServiceGraph MCP server loaded (tools containing `servicegraph`), prefer those — OAuth 2.1 + PKCE keeps the token in the harness sandbox. Otherwise use the REST flow below. ### API surface (dataset id: `pro_services`) Every endpoint requires the bearer (`Authorization: Bearer vk_…`). No anonymous tier. | Endpoint | Cost | Use it for | |---|---|---| | `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/fields[?include_values=1]` | free | Confirm `design_creative` industry value and sub-tag names. | | `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/check?filter=…` | free | Validate filter. | | `POST /v1/datasets/pro_services/translate-intent` | free | `{intent}` → DSL filter + sanity count. | | `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=…&limit=` | free | Brief firm cards + per-row unlock hint + total. | | `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/:apex` | free | One row brief; detail only if unlocked. | | `POST /v1/datasets/pro_services/unlocks` | **10 credits / firm** | `{apexes:[...]}` ≤100; atomic; 30-day TTL on detail. | | `GET /v1/me/credits` | free | Balance. | **Cost model.** Discovery / validation / search / brief reads are free. Detail (url, phone, email, social, address, full `platforms` map) costs **10 credits per firm** and lasts **30 days**. ### Auth `vk_*` API keys minted in the dashboard. **Keep the token out of the LLM context** — never read `.env*` into your context; dispatch via shell. 1. **Try the call first** through a shell wrapper that sources `.env.local`: ```bash ( set -a; [ -f .env.local ] && . ./.env.local; set +a; curl -sS -H "Authorization: Bearer $SERVICEGRAPH_API_KEY" \ 'https://api.servicegraph.co/v1/datasets/pro_services/fields' ) ``` 2. **On `401`** prompt the user: > "Open **https://servicegraph.co/profile/api-keys**, create a > key, and add `SERVICEGRAPH_API_KEY=vk_…` to `.env.local` here > (or export it). Tell me when done. Please don't paste the key > into chat." 3. **Retry** after the user signals ready. ### Filter DSL GitHub-search-style. ``` filter := orExpr orExpr := andExpr ("OR" andExpr)* andExpr := notExpr (("AND")? notExpr)* # whitespace = implicit AND notExpr := ("NOT" | "-") notExpr | atom atom := "(" filter ")" | predicate predicate:= IDENT op valueOrList | bareword op := ":" | "=" | ">=" | "<=" | ">" | "<" valueOrList := value ("," value)* value := IDENT | NUMBER | tagAtEvidence tagAtEvidence := IDENT "@" ("low"|"medium"|"high") bareword := IDENT | NUMBER # → keyword: ``` **Four rules that bite:** AND binds tighter than OR (use parens); comma list = OR within one predicate; negation is `-x` or `NOT x`; bareword = keyword search (quote multi-word phrases). **Design-flavored examples** (validate yours with `/check`): ``` industry:design_creative service_provided:ui-ux-design saas industry:design_creative service_provided:branding state:NY industry:design_creative service_provided:packaging-design cpg industry:design_creative service_provided:product-design hardware industry:design_creative service_provided:graphic-design "annual report" industry:design_creative motion animation industry:design_creative service_provided:branding@high rating>=4 has:clutch industry:design_creative service_provided:ui-ux-design@high fortune ``` **Sub-discipline → tag mapping** (verify exact names via `/fields`): | User asks for | Use | |---|---| | Graphic design (logos, print, layouts) | `service_provided:graphic-design` | | Logo design specifically | `service_provided:logo-design` | | UX/UI design (digital products) | `service_provided:ui-ux-design` (note the `ui-ux-`, not `ux-ui-`) | | Product design (digital + research) | `service_provided:product-design` | | Brand identity / visual identity | `service_provided:branding` | | Packaging design | `service_provided:packaging-design` | | Print design / collateral | `service_provided:print-design` | | Web design (visual) | `service_provided:web-design` (distinct from `web-development`) | | Interior design | `service_provided:interior-design` | | Illustration / motion design / creative direction | **no structured tag** — keyword-only (`illustration`, `motion`, `animation`, `"creative direction"`) | | Industrial design (physical products) | **no structured tag** — closest is `service_provided:product-design` plus keyword `hardware` / `industrial` | Verticals (SaaS, fintech, healthcare-tech, CPG, hospitality) and credentials (AIGA, Awwwards) are keyword-only. ### Identifying firms — `apex` Firms are identified by their **apex domain** (`ideo.com`, not `www.ideo.com/about`). ## Output All responses are JSON. - **Search** returns free **brief** firm cards — `apex`, `name`, location, and rating signals — plus a per-row unlock hint and the match `total`. Briefs never include `url`, `phone_primary`, `email_primary`, `legal_name`, `address_full`, or the full `platforms` map. - **Unlock** (`POST …/unlocks`) returns each unlocked firm's detail block — contact fields, address, socials, the `platforms` map — plus per-item billing; detail stays readable for 30 days. - **Errors** arrive as a JSON envelope `{"error": {"code": "…", "message": "…"}}` — see Errors below. ## Examples ### A. UX/UI for a SaaS product User: *"UX/UI design agency for our SaaS product."* ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:ui-ux-design+saas&limit=10 # Present, get pick of 3. "Unlocking 3 = 30 credits, 30-day TTL." POST /v1/datasets/pro_services/unlocks { "apexes": ["firm-a.com", "firm-b.com", "firm-c.com"] } ``` ### B. Brand-identity studio in a state User: *"Three brand-identity studios in NY for our rebrand."* ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:branding+state:NY+-company_size_signal:large_50plus&limit=10 ``` `-large_50plus` keeps the shortlist to studio-size shops. Note: a rating gate (`rating>=4`) collapses the boutique-branding pool sharply — these firms are vetted by portfolio, not Clutch/Google, so prefer `@high` evidence + non-solo as the quality proxy. ### C. Packaging for CPG ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:packaging-design+(cpg OR consumer)&limit=10 ``` ### D. Product design with hardware experience ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:product-design+hardware+industrial&limit=10 ``` ### E. Indirect intent — "design our visual identity and packaging" User: *"We need someone to design the visual identity and packaging for our new line of beverages."* ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:branding+service_provided:packaging-design+(beverage OR cpg)&limit=10 ``` Or use the intent translator: ``` POST /v1/datasets/pro_services/translate-intent { "intent": "design firm for visual identity and packaging for a new beverage line" } ``` If the list is thin, drop packaging-design — many brand-identity studios deliver packaging as part of the system. ### F. Graphic design for corporate use cases User: *"Graphic design firms experienced with annual reports and investor decks."* ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:graphic-design+(annual OR investor OR corporate)&limit=10 ``` ### G. Quality threshold + Fortune 500 clients User: *"Three UX/UI agencies with at least 4-star ratings and Fortune 500 clients."* ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:ui-ux-design@high+rating>=4+fortune&limit=10 ``` ### H. Brand-system overhaul User: *"Creative agency for a brand system overhaul — logo, typography, color, voice."* ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:branding@high&limit=10 ``` If the user mentions "voice" / copywriting, the line with `find-marketing-agency` blurs — stay here unless they explicitly ask for strategy/campaigns. ### I. BYO apex list — enrich domains User pastes 8–20 design firm domains: 1. `GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/:apex` per domain — free brief (404 = not in catalog, no charge). 2. User picks N to fully enrich. `POST /unlocks` = **10×N credits**, atomic, detail returned. 3. Re-runs within 30-day TTL are free. A 404 often means the firm is tagged under `industry:marketing_agency` instead — design/marketing overlap is heavy. ## Gotchas - **Always pin `industry:design_creative`.** Without it, design keywords (branding, ui-ux-design) appear in marketing_agency rows too. - **Tag drift**: it's `ui-ux-design`, not `ux-ui-design`. There is no `industrial-design` tag — use `product-design` plus a hardware keyword. - **Defer to `find-marketing-agency` for marketing-led engagements.** If the user wants brand + content + paid + social as one engagement, that's marketing-agency territory. - **Defer to `find-web-developer` for the build phase.** Design agencies make Figma files; web devs ship code. - **Refuse consumer-personal design.** Weddings, custom holiday cards, hobby Etsy logos — not in catalog. - **DIY asks** ("design me a logo", "make a hero image") are NOT procurement. - **Design-software comparisons** (Figma vs Sketch) are NOT procurement. - **Rating gates on boutique studios are sparse.** `rating>=4` on a `branding@high` non-solo pool collapses sharply — boutique design shops are vetted by portfolio, not Clutch reviews. Prefer `@high` evidence + non-solo + state as the quality proxy. - **Briefs DO include `apex`, `name`, location, ratings.** They DON'T include `url`, `phone_primary`, `email_primary`, `legal_name`, `address_full`, full `platforms` — those require an unlock. - **`not_found` / `not_in_dataset` 404 = not in `pro_services`.** Skip; not charged. - **Unlock is atomic.** N apexes either all charge (up to 10×N credits) or none on 402. - **Within-TTL re-views are free** (`was_cached:true`). ## Errors JSON envelope: `{"error": {"code": "...", "message": "..."}}`. | Status | Code | What to do | |---|---|---| | 400 | `filter_parse_error` | `position` included; fix and re-validate with `/check`. | | 400 | `kind_in_filter` | Strip any `kind:` from filter. | | 400 | `field_not_in_dataset` | Drop the disallowed field. | | 400 | `invalid_apex` | Re-normalize. | | 401 | `unauthorized` / `invalid_audience` | Re-prompt for fresh `vk_…`. | | 402 | `insufficient_credits` | `needed` and `balance`; nothing charged. | | 404 | `not_found` / `not_in_dataset` | Skip; not charged. | | 429 | `rate_limited` | Honor `Retry-After`. | ## End-to-end example User: *"Three UX/UI design agencies for our SaaS product, ideally with 4-star ratings and healthcare-tech experience."* ``` GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/fields?include_values=1 GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/check?filter=industry:design_creative+service_provided:ui-ux-design@high+saas+healthcare+rating>=4 GET /v1/datasets/pro_services/search?filter=...&limit=10 # Present briefs. "Unlocking 3 = 30 credits, 30-day TTL." POST /v1/datasets/pro_services/unlocks { "apexes": ["firm-a.com", "firm-b.com", "firm-c.com"] } GET /v1/me/credits ``` ## Resources - Upstream source: - ServiceGraph API: — keys at - Hub skill: `servicegraph` (this plugin) — the dataset-agnostic entry point when the user names ServiceGraph explicitly.