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

The Design Economy 2018 – Introducing the case studies Design Council commissioned seven case studies to sit alongside the economic analysis and survey from the Design Economy 2018, bringing to life how some firms are using design. We commissioned seven case studies to bring to life how some firms are using design in a systematic or strategic way.

News — 14/09/2018
Design Economy 2018
Design Economy 2018

Diversity and business performance – is there a link? The 2018 design economy is 78% male, which is a higher figure than for the wider UK workforce (53% male) and has not improved since the last edition of the Design Economy in 2015. 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

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
Studio Moross
Studio Moross

The Design Economy 2018 – Studio Moross Studio Moross is an interdisciplinary design and creative studio, specialising in work for the music industry, entertainment sector, consumer packaged goods, and food and beverages. Here, they discuss how their culture of collaboration and openness is tackling a lack of diversity in design. Tackling a lack of diversity in design.

Case study — 17/09/2018
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