It’s a bit like why are great chefs French, or why are great fashion designers Italian or great engineers German? I think there’s an understanding among clients internationally that great design is done in Britain.
The Chinese don’t want to sell to the UK – that’s 60 million. They want to sell to 1.6 billion of their own domestic market and I think that it may be one of those things that with the best endeavour we actually in 10, 15 years time the industry will dwindle whatever.
If I use Russia as the example, we’re fortunate that in Russia business has the perception that UK design is amongst the best in the world. So we’re not having to go into countries and convince them of our capabilities.
Also now we’re educating the design community for the rest of the world as well in foreign students because design courses aren’t very well funded so they need to attract foreign students to bring them here. I think we have to be careful of that because we are creating our competitors of the future.
In the UK supply outstrips demand. In other markets it’s the reverse, well water will follow its course. You’ve got to go where things will happen.
If I want to survive I’m going to be competing not only against my peers in my local town, I’m now competing on a more global stage. It’s always important to understand the competitive environment in which you’re operating otherwise you compete or you die.