Good Growth Design Hubs
Every place has untapped potential.
Businesses developing new products and services, designers solving complex problems, universities and colleges developing new talent and communities with deep knowledge of what their places need. Design capability exists across every nation and region of the UK.
Good Growth Design Hubs bring these strengths together to turn local design talent into economic advantage.
Working with regional leaders and their partners, the Design Council helps unlock the power of design to grow businesses, strengthen priority sectors, develop skills, improve places and accelerate the transition to an economy that drives value for people, place and planet.
Design is an engine for growth
The number of designers has grown across every region and nation of the UK driving place-based value.
- Between 2017 and 2019, Scotland's Design Economy grew by 33%, five times faster than the Scottish economy.
- Wales grew by 18%, while the North West grew by 14% and the South West by 15%.
- Digital design employment also grew rapidly in places including the South West, Scotland, Yorkshire and the Humber and Northern Ireland.
Map shows design economy GVA by region (2023) and percentage change between 2019-2023. This data is taken from Design Council's Design Economy: Driving Good Growth Across the UK report (2026)
A Good Growth Design Hub for your area would:
1.
Unlock growth in your priority sectors.
2.
Help every business access the power of design through commercialisation and innovation support.
3.
Build on your regional expertise.
4.
Drive your local talent pipeline equipped with essential design skills.
5.
Accelerate a greener, more resilient economy.
6.
Design better places to live, work and invest, improving the quality of local infrastructure and housing.
Why the Design Council?
For more than 80 years, the Design Council has championed the role of design in building a stronger, fairer and more sustainable UK.
We bring experience of working with thousands of businesses, more than 100 local authorities and partners across all four nations, alongside deep expertise in design, innovation, economic growth, skills, places and sustainability.
We understand how to translate design into action, connecting strategy with delivery, evidence with local knowledge, and design talent with the businesses and institutions that can turn ideas into impact.
Ready to create a Good Growth Design Hub for your region or nation?
Whether you're developing a regional growth strategy, investing in priority sectors, building your skills pipeline, supporting business innovation or planning for a greener future, a Good Growth Design Hub can help you turn the design strengths of your place into a powerful engine for good growth.
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