Communications design dominates the UK design industry, with almost two-thirds of design businesses working in this discipline - a slight increase on 2005.
The number of in-house design teams working in communications has increased significantly since 2005 to almost 80%. A healthy proportion of design businesses working in communications reported growth in demand for their services, second only to digital and multimedia design. Fee incomes and budgets in the sector are at the lower end of the scale – just over half of design businesses working in communication have an annual fee income or budget of less than £50,000.
Download a PDF factsheet full of facts and stats on communcations design in UK design industry
Size of communications design sector
What percentage of UK design businesses work in communications design?
Overall 62% of design businesses in the UK work in communications design.(This includes those businesses that work in more than one discipline).
What percentage of UK design businesses work solely in communications design?
31% of design businesses in the UK work solely in communications design. The remainder of the design businesses working in communications design also work in other design disciplines, most commonly in digital and multimedia design.
- Design consultancies 23%
- Freelance designers 32%
- In-house design teams 41%
Profile of communications design businesses
What proportion of design businesses in each region work in communications design?
The West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber have the highest proportion of UK design businesses working in communications design, Northern Ireland has the lowest.
- East 64%
- East Midlands 54%
- London 63%
- North East 52%
- Northern Ireland 49%
- North West 57%
- Scotland 60%
- South East 66%
- South West 58%
- Wales 60%
- West Midlands 70%
- Yorkshire and the Humber 72%
- UK 62%
How long have design businesses working in communications design been operating?
There are a lot of young communications design businesses in the UK – more than a third have been in operation for less than four years.
How many designers work in in-house communications design teams?
Just under three quarters of in-house design teams working in communications design employ fewer than four designers.
How many designers do design consultancies working in communications design employ?
Three quarters of design consultancies working in communications design employ fewer than five designers, almost all employ fewer than 10.
Financial performance of design businesses working in communications design
What is the annual fee income/budget of design businesses working in communications design?
Just over half of all design businesses working in communications design have an annual fee income or budget of less than £50,000.
How does the financial performance1 of design businesses working in communications design for the last year compare with the year before?
The financial performance of communications design businesses is in line with the average across other disciplines.
How has demand for communications design changed over the last three years?
Just over 40% of design businesses working in communications design report an increase in demand for the services compared to only 30% back in 2005.
Clients of design businesses working in communications design
Which industry sectors are communications design businesses working in?
The financial and business services sector is very important to communications design businesses, just under half work in this area.
What percentage of communications design businesses work in the public, private and third sectors?
Communications design businesses work across the public, private and third sectors.
Job market for design businesses working in communications design
What percentage of communications design businesses are recruiting?
29% of design businesses working in communications design recruited at least one designer last year (all disciplines –31%).
What percentage of communications design businesses have made redundancies over the last year?
7% of design businesses in communications design made redundancies last year (all disciplines –7%).