Design businesses in the East account for 10% of the UK design industry. The region has slightly higher-than-average proportions of communications and interior design businesses.
More than a quarter of design businesses in the East of England have been operating for under four years. Many design businesses in the region earn less than £50k in fee income annually – in fact, 12% more firms fall under this threshold than the UK average.
Download a PDF factsheet full of facts and stats on the design industry in the East
Number of design businesses and designers in the East of England
How many designers are there in the East of England?
There are 11,7171 designers in the East of England. This is an increase of 5%2 from 2003.
How many design businesses are there in the East of England?
There are 8,428 design businesses in the East of England. Design businesses in the East account for 10% of all design businesses in the UK.
- Design consultancies 1,188
- Freelance designers 6,590
- In-house design teams 650
Profile of design businesses in the East of England
What disciplines do design businesses in the East of England work in?
Communications design and digital & multimedia design are the most common disciplines for design businesses in the East.
How long have design businesses in the East of England been operating?
The East of England has a slightly higher than average proportion of young design businesses (those operating for less than four years).
How many designers do in-house design teams in the East of England employ?
In-house design teams in the East of England are slightly smaller than the UK average – two thirds have fewer than five designers.
How many designers do design consultancies in the East of England employ?
Most design consultancies in the East of England employ fewer than five designers.
Financial performance of design businesses in the East of England
What is the annual fee income/budget for design businesses in the East of England?
The financial performance of design businesses in the East of England is in line with that of other UK design businesses.
How does the financial performance3 of design businesses in the East over the last year compare with that of the year before?
40% of design businesses in the East of England have seen their fee incomes or budgets increase over the past year, compared to only 23% who have seen a decrease.
Clients of design businesses in the East of England
What industry sectors do design businesses in the East of England work for?
Design businesses in the East of England most commonly work for clients in financial & business services and wholesale & retail.
How big are the clients of East of England design businesses?
Over 90% of design businesses in the East of England work for small and medium sized clients.
Job market for design businesses in the East of England
How many design businesses in the East of England are recruiting?
29% of design businesses in the Eastern region recruited at least one designer last year (UK average – 31%).
How many design businesses in the East of England made redundancies last year?
5% of design businesses in the Eastern region made redundancies last year (UK average – 7%).