The report did a great job in highlighting the need for creativity within business, it also gave designers the reasons why people do not buy into services.
- Limited understanding of where and how creativity could be used
- A lack of confidence in ROI
- A lack of knowledge of how to go about it
Looking at a cross section of creative industry websites shows that very few address any of these points. It’s impossible to tell if these companies address the problems once they are in front of the potential client but given the importance of online marketing, it would seem there is a lack of designers that still try to talk in business terms.
Along side the report the Design Council ran a series of initiative, including one called called ‘Designing Demand’:
“It helps businesses discover how to become more innovative, more competitive and more profitable. It does this by giving managers the skills to exploit design by spotting opportunities, briefing designers and running projects that deliver.”
www.thedesigncouncil.org.uk
Not only did these workshops explain how creativity and design can be utilised, from a business point of view, but it also allowed companies part of the creative industries to use statistical information for sales messages, such as “for every £100 spent on design increases turnover by £225” (2006, www.designfactfinder.co.uk).
Designer should take some important pointer away from the report. Too often I hear designers complain about how clients don’t get them, or they don’t understand the design process. Well that can only be our fault, it is our responsibility to get people to understand the value of design and it’s processes. The report gives designers key concerns as to why people do not engage properly with design and now ot’s down to designers to change that.