Design: communications, digital and multimedia, exhibitions, graphic, industrial design, interior design, product design and service design

The aesthetic techniques, practicality and creativity used in design combine to make our everyday life that bit simpler.

• 180,000 people currently work in the design sector
• 33% are self employed and 20% are freelancers
• Design contributes £6.3bn to the UK economy
• There is a majority of male workers in the sector (68%)
• 95% of the design workforce is white
• There are 14,805 businesses in the design sector
• Less than 2% of design businesses employ 20 people or more
• The sector is currently very concentrated within London and the South East – 73,000 of the 180,000 individuals working in the sector are based there (40%)

Download the key findings (pdf)

The UK design industry is currently the biggest in Europe, employing more than 8,000 designers.

Like many of the sectors within the creative and cultural industries a large proportion of the design sector is made up of small to medium sized enterprises employing fewer than five people.

The UK Design Industry has experienced a decline in turnover by 6%; down to £4.6bn. Employment levels have declined even more dramatically, down by 8.4%. This is, in part, due to investment in technology that enables agencies to turn work round faster. Whilst this benefits clients, it doesn't benefit employers. There are competitive threats posed by emerging economies.

In terms of skills, there are important implications arising from current trends. The downsizing occurring in larger agencies is releasing designers into the marketplace. There are more freelancers who require a different set of business and entrepreneurial skills.

The nature of service provision is changing, with a greater number of agencies becoming involved in brand management and marketing. Clients are demanding more and more from the industry (i.e. more creativity, a greater impact on the "bottom line", a better understanding of client business needs, a more strategic approach, better ideas, etc) and there is a call for the sector to be more professional.

Design and Technology (D&T), is one of the most popular subjects in the National Curriculum, however, there is a lack of connection with design as practised in industry. There are also particular challenges with design education at FE and HE level as there are three times as many students of design as there are people employed within the sector.

There is also a perception that high quality graduates are difficult to find and they increasingly lack the right skills to meet the needs of industry. There are currently limited opportunities available for practising designers to work with design educators but this is not happening at a national level, despite a high level of support for such an initiative.

The skills gaps

Creative roles are the hardest to fill. Likewise sales and services.

Design organisations are finding most applicants lack the right level of experience to be able to meet the needs of the positions available.

There is a shortage of skills in creative and management roles while IT positions are also lacking key skills.

IT and technical skills (i.e. specialisms) are most likely to be missing from design organisations.

Management and leadership are the skills the industry wants from new recruits.

Communication planning, intellectual property and organisational skills are also in great demand.

Supporting the Design Industry

Creative & Cultural Skills is working in partnership with the Design Council to help steer the Design Alliance. The Alliance aims to join up and support the skills development activities of schools, colleges and industry to secure the design sector's position as a world-leading centre for design skills and education.

The Design Alliance will act as a catalyst for change, providing coherence and focus to a fragmented sector. It will work closely with partners to help raise professional standards in design industry practice and education in the UK. In doing so, it will take into account the broad range of audiences that make up the UK's design sector.

The Design Blueprint sets out the following recommendations:

For Schools:

• A programme of designers working with schools, supported by high-quality resources
• A design mark for schools to acknowledge excellent design teaching
• A teacher development scheme to support and promote design excellence in school education.

For Colleges and Universities:

• A network of visiting design professors to better connect further and higher education with professional practice
• Joined-up promotion of multi-disciplinary programmes
• A web-based career and course information service.

For the Design Industry:

• A UK design academy to establish industry standards in professional practice and provide intelligence for future skills development
• A professional practice framework that recognises and promotes good design practice
• A professional development campaign to improve skills and increase the availability and take-up of high quality professional development.

For further information on this industry visit:

Design Council
Design Business Association
D&AD
RSA
Associated Parliamentary Group for Design and Innovation
Chartered Society of Designers
BDI (British Design Innovation)
ACID (Anti Copying in Design)