Output details

New design business models: implications for the future of design management

This research was funded as by the AHRC/EPSRC (£325k) as part of the ‘Designing for the 21st Century’ initiative and was undertaken in between March 2007 and May 2008. The project - Design 2020 was undertaken by the Universities of Lancaster and Salford in partnership with British Design Innovation. Dr Evans was a Co-Investigator on the project. The design consultancy sector in the UK faces significant change towards 2020 due to the globalisation of brands and thus design activities compounded by the impact of enabling digital technologies. The key objective of the research was to examine the future of the UK design industry. This chapter identifies challenges and opportunities facing the UK design industry towards 2020 and presents a framework to signpost and support change. It identifies the tangible implications of this change for design management and the resultant new business models for the design industry.

The research was conducted in two stages. The first involved a review of literature and preliminary focus group research, which identified key issues and concerns within the design sector, this also informed the development of the conceptual framework. A second stage, involved the development of future scenarios in consultation with a panel of futures experts for use as tools in interviews and focus group workshops that were conducted with three sets of stakeholders: (i) design practitioners and design consultancies, (ii) design buyers/clients (from both private and public sectors), and (iii) design policymakers and design educators.

A series of new business models for the UK design industry are presented with implications for design management detailed. These new business models are significant as they enable the design industry to navigate and accommodate radical change in their business environment through the considered management of design.