Designing a future economy is the Design Council’s 2017 report investigating the skills used in design, the link between these skills and productivity and innovation, and how they align with future demand for skills across the wider UK economy.

This interactive data visualisation situates these findings within the wider context of the technological and economic change taking place as part of the fourth industrial revolution, highlighting how design has an important role to play in the UK’s future. However it also highlights that without urgent action, the supply of these design skills is at risk.

Launch our interactive guide to design skills.

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News & opinion

Skills banner
Skills banner

How do we define design skills? As debate rages on as to how the UK best capitalises on the technological changes being brought by the fourth industrial revolution, Design Council has been leading the conversation about the key role design skills can play. But what do we mean by design skills? Design Council has been leading the conversation about the key role design skills can play. But what do we mean by design skills?

Feature — 06/12/2017
Design Economy 2018
Design Economy 2018

Diversity and business performance – is there a link? To what extent might inequalities be holding the design economy back from achieving its full value to the UK economy? To what extent might inequalities be holding the design economy back from achieving its full value to the UK economy?

Feature — 13/08/2018
Greg Clarke and Sarah Weir
Greg Clarke and Sarah Weir

Design Council launches the Design Economy 2018 at Northern Powerhouse Summit At the Northern Powerhouse Summit on Thursday 5 July, Design Council CEO Sarah Weir launched our new Design Economy report alongside Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark. Design Council CEO Sarah Weir launched our new report alongside Greg Clarke, Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

News — 09/07/2018
Design Economy 2018
Design Economy 2018

The future is design Design Council launches The Design Economy 2018 report, setting out the position of UK design and establishes a vision for its future. Design Council launches The Design Economy 2018 report, setting out the position of UK design and establishes a vision for its future.

News — 28/06/2018
Skills banner
Skills banner

WATCH: Design Council on London LIVE Design Council CEO Sarah Weir OBE and our Director of Policy and Communications, Sally Benton, appeared on London LIVE to discuss the findings of our Designing a future economy research and its implications for London and the South East. CEO Sarah Weir OBE and Director of Policy and Communications Sally Benton discuss the findings of our Designing a Future Economy research.

News — 11/12/2017

Resources

Skills banner
Skills banner

Designing a Future Economy report Design Council’s 2017 report investigating the skills used in design, the link between these skills and productivity and innovation, and how they align with future demand for skills across the wider UK economy. Design Council’s 2017 report investigating the skills used in design and the link between these skills and productivity and innovation.

Report — 06/12/2017
Fjord image
Fjord image

Video: The Design Economy 2018 – Fjord In this video, Group Director Celia Romaniuk discusses the merger, which sought to allow Fjord’s culture to grow and thrive, as well as some of the design approaches Fjord apply in their work with clients. In this video, Group Director Celia Romaniuk discusses the merger which sought to allow Fjord’s culture to grow and thrive.

Case study — 26/06/2018
City ID
City ID

Video: The Design Economy 2018 – City ID In this video, Founder and Design Director Mike Rawlinson explains how their first project for Bristol City Council – which introduced the idea of ‘Legible Cities’ – led to work nationally and internationally. In this video, Founder & Design Director Mike Rawlinson explains how the idea of ‘Legible Cities’ led to work nationally and...

Case study — 26/06/2018
Map project office
Map project office

Video: The Design Economy 2018 – Map Project Office In this video, Founder and Design Director Jon Marshall (who became a Partner at Pentagram in April 2018, after 6 years at Map) introduces the Map approach to working with start-ups and how this has changed how they work with larger brands as well. In this video, Founder and Design Director Jon Marshall introduces the Map approach to working with start-ups.

Case study — 26/06/2018
Design Economy 2018
Design Economy 2018

The Design Economy 2018 The Design Economy 2018 is the Design Council's report on the state of design in the UK, and its value to the economy. The Design Economy 2018 is the Design Council's report on the state of design in the UK, and its value to the economy.

Report — 26/06/2018
Understanding design intensive banner
Understanding design intensive banner

Understanding design-intensive innovation How does design contribute to innovation? Does the use of design improve the likelihood of innovation happening? If so, how, and can it be measured? How does design contribute to innovation? Does the use of design improve the likelihood of innovation happening, and can it be measured?

Report — 30/05/2018