Design can drive a competitive economy, create a more sustainable society and make our everyday lives better. But only if it’s used well.
To view our video content you will need to install
Flash 8 and ensure that you have JavaScript enabled.
Read our accessibility page for further information.
What is good design? Eight top designers give us their definition
Read the video transcript
What do we mean by good design?
It results in objects, systems or services that work aesthetically, functionally and commercially, improving people’s lives and making the smallest possible impact on the planet.
Good design is a verb, not just a noun. It is a sequence of steps that defines problems, discovers solutions and makes them real.
Creativity generates ideas and innovation exploits them. Good design connects the two. It links ideas to markets, shaping them to become practical and attractive propositions for customers or users.
Good design is a quantifiable benefit, not a cost. Its value can be measured economically, socially and environmentally.
Everything man-made is designed, so a lot of design happens without professional designers. But good design is most likely to happen when a good designer’s training, skills and experience come together with a client who knows how to use them.
To make the UK the best user of design in the world, over the next three years we have five aims:
These targets are part of our Good Design Plan.
You can download a PDF copy or browse through it using the links above.