Our ground-breaking research provides evidence on the impact and value of design. We explore design’s role in economic development, tackling societal challenges and delivering inclusive places, to help us better understand and use design across the UK. The links here take you through to some of our key reports, but if your want isn’t listed below, please visit our resources or news and opinion pages.
Our Design sector research
- Design Economy 2018
- Healthy Placemaking
- Designing a future economy
- The Future of Design Series
- Leading Business by Design
Built Environment:
- Healthy Placemaking
- The 100-year life: the role of housing, planning and design
- Delivering a new approach to growth
- Purposeful design for Homes and Communities
- Design review Insight Report
Public Sector & Social innovation:
- Design for Public Good
- Design in the Public Sector: programme evaluation
- Design in the Public Sector: Lessons from applying design approaches in the public sector
- Transform Ageing: Exploring the Challenge
- Evaluating Transform Ageing – what we’ve learnt about learning
Business Innovation:
- Designing a future economy: Developing design skills for productivity and innovation
- Support and Business Survival and Growth
- Leading Business by Design: High Value Manufacturing
Measuring the value of design:
Design Education:
Science and technology:
In 2019, we are shaping up a new research and evaluation programme to investigate the state of design in the UK over the coming years. We’ll be reaching out to, and consulting with, a range of stakeholders across design, government, business and academia on what they consider as the big questions that need to be answered about design’s role and impact, and what evidence is required.

Within this, we’re keen to deliver research that speaks to our core themes for 2019: health and wellbeing; housing; infrastructure; diversity and inclusion and skills. We’d like to hear from potential research partners on existing work and new opportunities to extend the evidence base on design.
Want to partner with us?
We have a number of ways where we work in partnership with charities, governments and corporations. If you are interested in finding out more please get in touch.