This section includes figures on design education including student numbers
In 2003–04 there were 56,785 students on design courses in the UK (Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2005)
Between 2002–03 and 2003–04 there was a 6% rise in the number of design students in the UK. Interestingly, in the same year there was a 32% rise in the number of postgraduate students from overseas studying design in the UK.
Source: Student Numbers - Design Studies, HESA, 2005
85% of designers think that design lecturers should spend time working in the industry
Chart 39
Levels of agreement with measures to help improve the quality of design education
| Measures |
% |
| Require all students to complete extensive work experience |
 88 |
| Create more employer-based vocational training (eg, apprenticeships) |
88 |
| Increase the number of practicing designers working in education |
87 |
| Require full-time lecturers to spend time working in the industry |
85 |
| Have design courses accredited by the industry |
80 |
Almost one in five designers are currently involved in design education
Among the designers we spoke to, 19% are currently involved in design education themselves. This is particularly true of designers with a post-graduate qualification, where 48% contribute to design education in some way.
The most common way for designers to be involved in design education is as part-time lecturers (39%), visiting lecturers or mentors (13%), or by offering work experience (12%). There is particularly high engagement with education among designers aged 40 to 49; almost a third (30%) of this age group is involved in some way with design education. Only 9% of interior and exhibition designers are involved in education, the lowest proportion of all disciplines.
The main reason that designers give for not being involved in design education is lack of time (57%). However, 16% say that it is because they have never been asked.
Chart 40
Reasons for not being involved in design education
| Reason |
% |
| I don’t have time |
57 |
| I’ve never been asked |
16 |
| It doesn’t interest me |
8 |
| Company is too small/new |
6 |
Responses under 5% were not represented
93% of designers think that business skills are either essential or useful in the design curriculum; 54% of design colleges think that business skills are either essential or useful in the design curriculum
Nearly half (49%) of design businesses think business skills are an essential part of the design curriculum. This rises to more than two thirds among those who have been working in the design industry for more than 30 years.
According to the Design Council’s Higher Education Skills Mapping (2005) heads of UK design education institutes do not share this view to the same extent. We asked whether they thought business skills should be taught as part of the design curriculum. Only 54% said they thought these skills were either essential or useful.
Designers supported a range of means of encouraging design schools to teach business skills.
Chart 41
Level of agreement with measures to encourage design schools to teach business skills
| Measures |
% |
| Availability of high level teaching & learning resourses |
75 |
| Expertise available to teach appropriate business skills to design students |
73 |
| Government funding for teaching business as part of the design curriculum |
67 |
| Demand for businesses for design graduates with business skills |
60 |
| Benchmark for best practice among design schools |
57 |