Icrave Design reviews

2.7

33% would recommend to a friend

(27 total reviews)

34% positive business outlook

Icrave Design has an employee rating of 2.7 out of 5 stars, based on 27 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The Icrave Design employee rating is 27% below average for employers within the Construction, Repair & Maintenance Services industry (3.7 stars).

Reviews by job title

27 reviews
1.0
Jun 2, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Unlimited PTO, some good projects

Cons

The studio has struggled with leadership and communication challenges that have impacted both employee morale and client relationships. Many senior positions appear to have been filled through long tenure rather than demonstrated leadership capability, resulting in a lack of strategic direction and accountability. Decision-making is highly centralised, with limited opportunity for employees to contribute ideas or challenge existing ways of working. Feedback from both staff and clients is often not acted upon, creating frustration across teams and leading to inefficiencies and avoidable rework. There is a noticeable disconnect between leadership and project teams. Client concerns are not always heard or addressed effectively, which can result in strained relationships, abortive work, and missed opportunities. The culture can feel process-driven rather than people-driven, with employees often treated as resources rather than valued professionals. Career development, innovation, and collaborative leadership are limited. The organisation would benefit from stronger communication, greater investment in its people, and leaders who actively engage with both employees and clients rather than relying solely on established internal practices.

3.0
May 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great exposure to high profile projects; hospitality, restaurants, day clubs, night clubs, lounges, entertainment facilities, workplaces, real estate development and even space!! There is a great studio culture here that thrives on creativity, exposure to the latest happenings in the city, weekly lunch and learns, bringing a wide range of vendors to share their latest and greatest product offerings, lunch included :). Weekly share-outs from internal teams teaching about their projects ups and downs, tips and tricks for software uses, and best practices when starting new projects, such as space planning tips and AI workflows. Quarterly Crit Days gather the entire studio for quick thinking pitches of hypothetical project brief scenarios that foster open minded, free range expressions that are fueled by studio wide participation and engaging dialogue. Public speaking is expected of the entire group and this is a safe expressive place to build your voice.

Cons

The directives are not clear at the onset of projects, no high level synopsis of goals beyond making cool spaces. Early developments are explored by associate and managerial levels, critiqued by directors after development, with small timeframes left for correction. This adds additional hours and stress to staff, as noted in all the reviews on this platform. The lack of creative direction at the beginning of projects is likely due to the upper management/directors having lack of experience outside of their only jobs here at ICRAVE, now Journey, which counts as them having two work place experiences. Having been at multiple size firms over decades, I can say that the creative oversight here has been the least hands on in my experience. This results in individuals progressing the best they can with what they know, only to be offered criticism late in the process and expected to shift course with minimal time remaining, rather than a open dialogue from the beginning and fine tuning along the course. This is not true for all upper management, though it does account for the bulk, when participation is 95% words and 5% sketches, reference images and if you’re lucky, an actual drawing/sketch. Lead by example is not practiced from this group. But do expect to know all of the current software programs your directors don’t know, they will insist it is part of your growth and they’ll be sure to provide minimal support to get you to learn it, including a stipend for learning that you can use on your free time, whenever you do find time between your already packed schedule… it’s hard to understand the prioritization of software skill building as being more important than developing designs for production, when there are specialists that do only one thing like rendering, or digital twins. As a designer, you’re expected to build the models for them and produce the drawings for construction. They want you to be the designer, the renderer, the drawing production and the digital asset developer, all in one. But for sure, you’ll only get paid for being one of them, not all 4. They think this is streamlining or removing redundancy, neglecting to see the specialty needed in each. So in short, they want an all in one architect, interior designer, renderer, 3D real time animation specialist, and did I mention presentation/graphic designer? The hubris of their stance while expecting everyone else to be unicorns…

1.0
Oct 7, 2024

If you care about your health dont work here

Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The office is in Manhattan

Cons

To this day it is the most toxic company I have ever worked for. There is zero empathy for any members of staff below management level, you are treated like a factory worker and they don't care about you or anything else you may have going on in your life. If you make your staff work all the hours under the sun they will not be able to function properly or produce work that is good quality. Their health will also be compromised. One time i was sick (literally vomiting) and they said - 'you can work from home then'. People treated as disposable to the point where a MANAGER played the song ‘another one bites the dust’ full blast after they fired someone or someone decided to leave and they had left the building. This was a regular occurrence. The company does not foster a teaching environment. Design management do not teach people lower them. Do you want your life to be constant high stress and made to feel invaluable whilst not being taught anything by management? Then work here but be warned !

Viewing 1 - 3 of 27 Reviews

Glassdoor has 30 Icrave Design reviews submitted anonymously by Icrave Design employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if Icrave Design is right for you.