5 July 2010

Creative & Cultural Skills and the Design Council are encouraging design sector organisations to pull together to achieve better-trained industry. The UK Design Alliance, a partnership set up to achieve this aim, is stepping up a gear this week, as David Worthington takes on the role of Chair, and Julian Grice, CEO of The Team, joins David as Vice Chair.

This move marks a step change in the Alliance’s Good Design Practice campaign, with an increased number of Alliance partners working to help educators and designers elevate the commercial and social benefits of good professional practice.

David Worthington stated:

'Now more than ever, the UK design and design education industry needs the Good Design Practice campaign. We need to elevate the value of design in schools, we need to create stronger, mutually beneficial relationships with universities and, above all, we need to ensure that our world-class design industry goes from strength to strength. The Alliance partners are here to drive that campaign.'

Caroline Felton, Chief Executive, Creative & Cultural Skills, said:

'We are actively developing this partnership to ensure that the design workforce is supported. The work of the Design Alliance across the UK is a central part of our plans for the future, ensuring that education is meeting the needs of industry and that the sector is equipped to meet its potential for growth in the future.'

Several new high profile figures from the world of Design have also recently joined the Alliance Advisory Board. These include Joe Ferry, Head of Design at Virgin Atlantic, Mat Hunter formerly from IDEO and now Chief Design Officer of the Design Council, and Stuart McDonald, formerly head of The Lighthouse in Scotland.

Commenting on his recent commitment, Joe Ferry said

'I am delighted to be involved with the Alliance at a key moment in the evolution of the UK design industry. Being part of the drive to help us stay ahead of the game and become better connected is an exciting challenge.'

The UK Design Alliance’s programme of work includes promoting the Good Design Practice campaign across the UK; working with new partners across the English regions, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; and increasing the information, tools, resources, events and training opportunities available to the industry. The Alliance will host a key event at the London Design Festival on Tuesday 21st September.
 

Lesley Morris, Director of the UK Design Alliance and Head of Design Skills at the Design Council said:

'All the work to develop the UK Design Alliance over the last few years is now coming to fruition. There are more design organisations and bodies joining the network and we hope that more designers will be involved by joining these national and regional organisations. This is all about collaboration – with the industry working together to achieve results that are far greater than the sum of the parts.'

ends 
 

For more information on this press release please contact Catherine Large, Director, External Relations Catherine.Large@ccskills.org.uk
 

Design businesses who wish to get involved please click here for further information.

Notes to editors:

Creative & Cultural Skills is the sector skills council for the creative and cultural industries. Our remit includes craft, cultural heritage, design, literature, music, performing arts and visual arts across the UK. Creative & Cultural Skills was granted a new licence to operate in January 2010.

Creative & Cultural Skills is a member of the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils. Together we oversee the strategic development of the workforce in our industries and deliver realistic solutions to skills needs.

David Worthington is Chair of Creative & Cultural Skills and Chairman of Design Vision, Media Square. He has extensive experience of design, having worked as Managing Director at Conran for ten years and is a member of D&AD and a fellow of the CSD and RSA.

The UK Design Alliance is a group of design sector organisations, working together to help develop the professional skills the industry needs. The Alliance is running the Good Design Practice campaign and its partners are supporting design teaching in schools, colleges and universities as well as encouraging designers to develop their professional practice. The purpose of this work is to ensure that the UKs design industry remains competitive in the global economy and as world class in the future as it is today

The Design Council places design at the heart of growth and renewal in Britain. As one of the world's leading design institutions, they are a centre of new thinking and insight into new ways to do business. They actively show how design can help build a stronger economy and improve everyday life through practical demonstrations and by supporting private industry and the public sector. In turn they invest in the future of UK design. For over 60 years the Design Council has promoted design for the public good. They are a government agency funded by the Department of Business Innovation and Skills as well as a charity with a Royal Charter. www.designcouncil.org.uk

For further information please visit www.ccskills.org.uk.