Definitions and methodology

In this section you can find definitions of the terms we use in this research, as well as more detailed methodologies for both our design industry studies The Business of Design and Buying and Selling for a Global Industry

Definitions

We use the following definitions:

Design business
Design consultancies and freelances, and in-house design teams in non-design businesses with 100 or more employees

Freelance
Freelances and all other design partnerships and businesses that do not employ staff other than the principals

Large business
Employing 250 people or more

Medium business
Employing 50 people or more but fewer than 250

Small business
Employing fewer than 50 people

SME
Small and medium-sized enterprise employing fewer than 250 people

Turnover
The most recent full financial year’s turnover of consultancies and freelances and the budget for in-house teams. Financial years differ, but we have assumed that the data collected broadly applies to the year 2004–05

For the purposes of the survey we grouped together the range of design disciplines as set out below:

Communications design
Graphics, brand, print, information design,corporate identity

Product and industrial design
Consumer/household products, furniture, industrial design (including automotive design, engineering design, medical products)

Interior and exhibition design
Retail design, office planning/workplace design, lighting, display systems, exhibition design

Fashion and textiles design
Fashion, textiles

Digital and multimedia design
Website, animation, film and television idents, digital design, interaction design

Other
Including advertising, aerospace design, building design, engineering design, landscape design, jewellery design, mechanical design etc.

Design clients have been bracketed into the following key industry groupings:

Primary, utilities and construction
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, mining and quarrying, electricity, gas and water supply, sewage, refuse disposal and sanitation, building, transport and communication

Manufacturing
Fuel processing and production, manufacture of chemicals and man-made fibres, metal goods, engineering and vehicles industries, other manufacturing industries

Professional business services
Banking, finance and insurance, real estate, renting and business activities

Retail, wholesale and leisure services
Wholesale and retail trade, personal and household goods, hotels and restaurants, other community, social and personal service activities

 Read the detailed methodology for The Business of Design

 Read the detailed methodology for Buying and Selling for a Global Industry