Design Economy 2018 executive summary

Report
26/06/2018

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Inside you will find

  • A breakdown of the true value of design to the UK economy
  • A regional breakdown of design hotspots and clusters
  • Updated statistics about the UK’s design exports, employment and productivity
  • Findings on business design use from over 1000 businesses
  • Short excerpts from two case studies of businesses using design
  • International comparisons

This will interest

  • Designers
  • Business leaders
  • Local and central government
  • Academics, economists, statisticians and research professionals

The Design Economy 2018 is the Design Council's report on the state of design in the UK, and its value to the economy. It expands on our previous research in 2015, and in addition to exploring the supply of design firms and designers, also explores how the rest of the UK business population interacts with them, and what the demand for design is.

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News & opinion

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
Chattyfeet
Chattyfeet

5 guerrilla design tactics for young businesses Gil Kahana from ChattyFeet gives us some tips and tricks he would recommend for young, up and coming businesses. Gil Kahana from ChattyFeet gives us some tips and tricks he would recommend for young, up and coming businesses.

Feature — 16/05/2018
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
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

Resources

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
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
Design skills banner
Design skills banner

Designing a future economy: interactive data visualisation The interactive data visualisation explores the value of design skills to the UK, and outlines why they are going to be increasingly important if the country is to thrive during the fourth industrial revolution. Explore how design skills are going to be increasingly important if the country is to thrive during the fourth industrial revolution.

Case study — 25/05/2018
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