 
A primary research study, commissioned in the Fall of 2003.
| Design is a practice based on problem-solving, aesthetics, materials and processes. But its day-to-day concerns often trump these activities, since design is also the practice of business. For scores of people in the field, this practice builds the bridge between cost and creativity, tools and talent, employees and enterpise. Understanding the business of design, and especially the business needs and trends of clients, is a key differentiator between successful firms and struggling enterprises. |
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Background
Agency closings, client reorganizations, recession – there were many reasons for launching Industry Snapshot in the fall of 2002. But they all boiled down to one question: How are the fittest design professionals surviving in an unfit economic environment?
The 2002 study was ambitious, seeking a global snapshot of the industry. However, it was the design professionals from the U.S. and Canada who fueled the study – perhaps stunned into action by the most dramatic economic fallout many of them had experienced in their careers.
This year we revisit the state of the industry in the U.S. and Canada to examine those business characteristics and growth strategies that appear to determine which professionals fail and which flourish.
Things look a little brighter in December 2003...
Key Questions
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What industries do successful design firms concentrate on? |
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What techniques are most successful in generating new business
for design firms? |
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What industries hold the most growth potential for design services in the next five
years? |
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Availability
Copies of the entire report are available for US$225. To order a copy call +1-888-756-8282.
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Some Preliminary Highlights from the 2003 report:
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Nearly half of designers worked for young companies – 44% worked for companies that had been in business for five years or less. |
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The largest number of participants (43%) worked in corporate environments, up from 31% last year. |
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Product Development – a relative "no show" in last year’s study – topped the secondary expertise category at 15%. |
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Seven percent of participants named 3-D Modeling as a secondary category of expertise. Last year this category didn’t rank among top named areas. |
Author: Lillian Sheih
and Rich Radka
Length: 83 pages
Design Industries:
Industrial Design, Graphic Design, Exhibit Design, 3D Modelling, Design Management, Interactive Design, Design Education
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