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
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

A brief history of the measurement of design How do you measure the value of design and designers? Ahead of the launch of our latest research exploring the value of design skills, Stephen Miller reviews how the measurement of design has evolved over recent years. Ahead of the launch of our latest research exploring the value of design skills, we look at how the measurement of design has evolved.

Feature — 30/11/2017

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
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
Healthy placemaking
Healthy placemaking

Healthy placemaking report Exploring the attitudes and behaviours of built environment practitioners towards healthy placemaking. Exploring the attitudes and behaviours of built environment practitioners towards healthy placemaking.

Report — 10/04/2018
James Heal
James Heal

Design programme the catalyst that helped a 145-year-old business flourish Halifax based business James Heal had experienced flat sales before applying for Designing Demand in 2009 – a Design Council business support programme to help businesses grow using design. Halifax based business James Heal had experienced flat sales before applying for our Designing Demand programme in 2009.

Case study — 02/02/2018

Design helped Midlands transport business to double their turnover White Logistics, one of the UK’s leading providers of logistics, warehouse and storage solutions opened its doors to design experts back in 2010 and has never looked back White Logistics opened its doors to design experts back in 2010 and has never looked back.

Case study — 02/02/2018