Designing Demand is the Design Council’s mentoring service for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. It helps businesses with an appetite for growth discover how to become more innovative, more competitive and more profitable. Management teams are led through a practical-based process that helps them to understand how design, used well, can be a strategic and effective tool to boost performance, open new markets, cut costs and reduce risk.
Over the last four years more than 2,000 businesses have engaged with Designing Demand and 650 have been mentored. An independent evaluation of Designing Demand in 2011 showed that the average return on investment for every £1 invested in design is over £25.
How does it work?
The Design Council has an established team of Design Associates – a national network of design management specialists – whose own professional experience is across businesses of all sizes including some of the most recognised brands and businesses in the UK and internationally. It is the Design Associates, once assigned to a business, that provide the hands-on support and mentoring.
Using the Design Council’s unique design opportunities framework they begin by leading the senior team through an intensive workshop to identify the company's biggest challenges, exploring how design can help overcome them. Here the link between business planning and effective, change-making design projects is made.
The mentoring also supports the team to identify the right design project to implement the approach that has been developed. The Design Associates do not undertake the design project. They will provide guidance to develop a robust brief, procure the right design agency and ensure that the right projects get to market.
Who should apply?
The Design Council is looking for manufacturing businesses with ambition to grow but who recognise the need for some external, objective advice and support to help achieve that.
Manufacturing businesses from all sectors are eligible and applications from those with some advanced manufacturing capability are particularly welcome. ‘Business
to consumer’ as well as 'business to business' enterprises (including OEMs) are all eligible.
What does it cost and how much time does it take?
If you are a business interested in innovation and growth then you will be eligible for 50% government support towards the cost of the mentoring service. Acceptance onto Designing Demand requires companies to resource the design project that results from participation.
Projects last between 6-10 months. Getting the full benefit means having the senior team available to join Design Associates in identifying design opportunities and making them happen.
What is the legacy?
Designing Demand offers more than just a mentoring service. When a business completes its mentoring and design project, it becomes part of the Design Council’s wider community, joining a growing network of businesses, organisations and designers. This provides opportunities to continue learning and developing and to build new business relationships.
Designing Demand has enabled us to develop a product and get it to market quicker than we would have otherwise been able to achieve. We have developed a product with better design and that is more aesthetically pleasing… It has and will result in increased sales and increased profitability Designing Demand client
Find out more about the legacy of Designing Demand by watching films from past clients, or reading in-depth case studies