More than half (54 per cent) of UK businesses are planning to use design to help them survive the economic downturn, according to new research published by the Design Council. Its National Survey of Firms 2008 reveals that, far from retreating to safety and resorting to cutting costs, increasing numbers of firms are using design as a powerful tool to help combat the toughest economic conditions in decades.
The survey also showed that the number of firms who regarded design as integral to their operations had doubled in the past three years, from 15 to 30 percent.
The Design Council research, which covered 1,500 UK firms of all sizes and across all sectors, showed that design is fast rising up the business agenda. Over half (53 per cent) of the businesses surveyed said that design has become more critical in helping the firm achieve its business objectives over the past three years; and the same number agreed that design is integral to the whole country's future economic performance.
Design Council Chief Executive David Kester said: "Recession is no time to be battening down the hatches. It's the moment when design becomes absolutely critical to survival, growth and success - and it's great to see that there's a growing recognition of this within the business community."
The Design Council website also illustrates how design has previously been used by companies as a potent weapon to not just survive, but to thrive in the face of both sector-specific and general recessions. It includes examples from the 1970s and the 1980s as well as more recent success stories such a Net-a-Porter, the online fashion store which was launched during 2000 but bucked the dot com crash by extensively using design to build what is now a multi-million pound business.
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