Design Management Promotion in Europe

© University of Wales Institute, Cardiff 2009
1
Investigation into
design management
promotion in Europe
ADMIRE programme
Objective 1.2
Darragh Murphy
Dr. Andrew Walters
Gisele Raulik-Murphy
The National Centre for Product Design & Development Research (PDR)
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC)
April 2009

2
CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Introduction 3
Chapter 2 Hypotheses 4
Chapter 3 Methodology 5
3.1 Design management promotion profiling 6
3.2 Barriers to design management promotion 7
3.3 Indirect design management support 7
3.4 DME Award candidates’ use of design support centres 8
3.5 Sample 8
Chapter 5 Results and Analysis 10
5.1 Profiles 10
5.1.1 Design support centres’ profiles for design management promotion 10
5.1.2 Business support centres’ profiles for design management promotion 11
5.1.3 Consolidated design management promotion profiles 11
5.1.4 Overview of design management promotion profiles 12
5.2 Indirect design management support 15
5.2.1 Indirect design management support in design support centres 15
5.3.2 Indirect design management support in business support centres 15
5.3 Barriers to design management promotion 16
5.4 DME Award candidates’ use of design support centres 17
5.5 Opinions and feedback from respondents 18
5.5.1 Feedback from design support centres 18
5.5.2 Feedback from business support centres 18
5.6 Key findings considering the original hypotheses 19
Chapter 6 Conclusion 21
Appendix 22

3
Chapter 1
Introduction
The management of design is regarded by the
European Commission as a competency under the
innovation management umbrella. This is
recognition of the fact that companies using design
to respond to new market opportunities
demonstrate a competency for innovation. Good
design management practices in small and medium
sized enterprises (SMEs) are believed to enhance the
effective use of design and, therefore, exploit the
potential of design as an instrument for innovation.
The ADMIRE programme (Awarding Design
Management and Innovation in Rebuilding
Enterprises) is a collaboration of nineteen partners
with the primary aim of establishing a design
management award for Europe. Part-funded by the
European Commission’s PRO-INNO Europe
programme, the ADMIRE programme covers a wide
range of issues regarding design management and
it’s relation to innovation in Europe. Activities
include: the establishment of the Design
Management Europe (DME) Award, a pan-European
survey of design management capability, an
extensive series of workshops, research linking
design management capability with innovation
output, and, defining ‘state of the art of design
management’.
An important link identified in this extensive review
of design management in Europe, is the level of
promotion and support being offered to businesses
on the subject of design management. The aim is to
determine if the design management capability of
companies is being hampered by the lack of
expertise and willingness among the European
business support community to promote design
management.
The objective of this report is to investigate design
management promotion via design and business
support centre across Europe, and to discuss the
findings.
The scale of the exercise is indicated by the number of
design support centres in Europe, which is estimated
to exceed 60. However, because of the wide
geographical region being considered, face-to-face
interviewing was cost-prohibitive. Therefore, an on-
line survey instrument has been designed to address
elementary factors in promotion activities: promotion,
support, education and research. This exploration of
the extent of design management promotion among
business and design centres in Europe provides a base
from which larger and more in-depth investigations
can be planned.
Regarded as a cross over between the two disciplines
of management and design, the investigation also
attempts to identify on which discipline the focus of
design management promotion should be placed; i.e. if
should either business or design support centres take
the lead in developing design management promotion.
Fig. 1. The combination of design support and business
support was piloted in the 2004 WINNOVATE programme in
West Wales, UK.

4
Chapter 2
Hypotheses
In order to create a framework for this study, data
gathering was focussed on the testing of a number
of hypotheses developed through meetings with
panels of experts made up of: representatives from a
design support agency that has had extensive
experience of working with partner agencies across
Europe (Design Wales); representatives with
experience working in business support agencies
(Manufacturing Advisory Service); and researchers
with a particular interest in design management
(National Centre for Product Design & Development
Research). The hypotheses developed as a result of
the consultation with the experts’ panel were:
Hypothesis H1: Design support agencies do not
promote design management as a distinct discipline.
Hypothesis H2: Design support agencies indirectly
support aspects of design management by
supporting the use of design.
Hypothesis H3: Business support agencies do not
promote the management of design as a distinct
discipline.
Hypothesis H4: The promotion and support of design
management is under-represented given the
potential business improvements and returns that
effective design management has been shown to
influence.
Figure 1 visually represents the hypotheses listed
above in presuming that effective design
management activities are outside the scope of both
design and business support agencies. Therefore, an
opportunity exists to improve design management
support to companies from: design agencies
improvements in management promotion; business
support agencies improvements in the relevance of
their offerings to the exploitation of design;
collaboration between design support and business
support agencies; or some combination of these
options.
Fig.2. Visualisation of hypotheses

5
Chapter 3
Methodology
This work is concerned with the activities that
European support agencies undertake, and their
direct and indirect impact on the design
management capabilities of industrial partners.
In developing a strategy for data gathering, it
became apparent that design management
promotion could be split into four different factors:
 Promotion: work to specifically promote the use
of design management;
 Support: the provision of guidance or project
management on use of design management to
individual clients;
 Education: efforts to transfer knowledge on
effective use of design management to clients;
 Research: the development of new knowledge
on effective design management to feed into
the delivery of effective design management
tools.
To develop a strategy for data capture, two question
routes were identified. The first question route
intended to develop a design management promotion
profile (where design management was identified as a
delivered service) and an exploration into the barriers
and demand for developing design management
services. The second route was tailored to either
design support agencies or business support agencies.
The objective of this second line of enquiry was to
explore the extent of indirect promotion and support
for design management as a result of other client
interaction.
Fig.3. Question routes for data gathering

6
3.1 Design Management promotion
profiling
Using the four factors of design management
promotion indicated above (promotion, support,
education and research), a profile for respondents that
recognise their interaction with design management
can be developed. Figure 4 demonstrates the cyclical
nature of this process:
 promotion, as an aspect of design management is
concerned with pure promotion that aims to
inform about the existence and benefits of design
management as a discipline;
 support aims to help companies with design
management at the project level;
 education builds upon support, ensuring
knowledge transfer that assists companies in
integrating design management into their
management practices;
 research completes the cycle, through the
development of knowledge to inform and further
develop every other aspect of delivery.
Fig. 4. Relationship of aspect of design management promotion
The enquiries into each aspect of design
management promotion are formulated in four
questions. Positive responses to any of the questions
are an indication of some design management
promotion. The responses are cumulative, that is,
the more positive responses in each category, the
greater the design management promotion activities
of the respondent in that aspect. Table 1 presents the
formulated questions.
DESIGN MANAGEMENT PROMOTION FACTORS
PROMOTION
Do you promote the effective management of
design?
Do you promote design management as a distinct
discipline (separate to design)?
Do you promote design management at multi-party
events?
Do you promote design management at individual
level?
SUPPORT
Is design management an aspect of your design
support activities?
Do you guide design management at the project
level during design support activities?
In design support activities, is design management
supported as a distinct management activity?
Do you provide support for exclusively design
management focussed projects?
EDUCATION
Through design projects, is there any knowledge
transfer regarding design management to clients?
Do you provide educational material on design
management?
Do you provide design management training
courses for clients?
Do you develop bespoke training for clients?
RESEARCH
Do you develop design management advice based
on client requirements (market/user needs etc.)?
Do you analyse your design management
interaction to improve your services?
Do you develop applied research from wider
sources to assist clients?
Do you get involvement in collaborative research to
improve design management?
Table 1. Table outlining design management profiling questions
A profile of respondents’ level of activity in design
management promotion could be generated using this
methodology. This profile highlighted differences in
individual respondents and could also be used to
categorise differences across types of respondents

7
(e.g. based on their core activities) or by other
categorisation (e.g. regional differences). Figure 5
provides an example of design management
promotion profile.
Fig.5. Design management promotion profile
In the example above, shaded boxes represent
positive answers. Therefore, in this simulation, the
respondent gave three positive answers to the
questions on promotion; two positive responses to
support; one positive response in education; and no
positive responses to research. For the hypotheses
to be supported, the profiles will show a majority of
respondents with many un-shaded boxes. The
respondent provided 6 positive answers to the 16
design management promotion factors listed in table 1.
If there is a high level of design management
promotion going on (and therefore much design
management support for potential clients) then
many of the respondents will have mostly full
profiles.
3.2 Barriers to design management
promotion
A key element into researching the promotion of
design management practices among businesses is
identifying barriers to this opportunity. Table 2
shows the series of questions formulated to gather
data about this issue.
BARRIERS
What do you believe are the barriers to
promoting design management?
- lack of expertise / knowledge
- lack of demand from customers
- lack of demand from government
- lack of promotion
- no financial support available to
undertake such activities
- not our area of expertise
- inappropriate service
- need for DM promotion not
identified
- not economically viable at a
meaningful level
- other
AMELIORATINGFACTORS
In your opinion, which factors could
improve the promotion of design
management?
- providing training to advisors
- developing collaboration with other
parties (working with design or
business support centres)
- funding
- tools
- external raising awareness of the
issue / of the benefits of design
management
- other
AWARENESSOF
BENEFITSOF
MANAGING
DESIGN
- DSC: Do you believe there is
significant value in applying specific
management skills to design?
- BSC: Do you believe it is worthwhile
to integrate design in other
business activities?
Table 2. Barriers and ameliorating factors to Design Management
promotion questions
3.3 Indirect design management support
In order to address the possibility of respondents being
unaware of conducting design management-related
activities, several control questions were added to the
questionnaire. The questions enabled the gathering of
a wider range of answers from the respondents, hence
reflecting accurately the current situation of design
management support in design and business support
centres.
The questions in tables 1, 2 and 3 were compiled into
two different questionnaires: one for design support
centres and the other for business support centres (see
appendix 1). The questionnaires were facilitated online
by a survey specialist website
1
. All design support
1
www.surveymonkey.com
Levels of activity in design
management promotion
1 2 3 4
Promotion
Support
Education
Research

8
centres in Europe and many business support
centres identified across Europe were emailed with
an invitation to complete the questionnaire (see
appendix 2). In addition, ADMIRE partners across
Europe were charged with the responsibility of
encouraging their local business support centres to
complete the online questionnaire. The survey was
released on the 31 October 2008 and closed on the
31st January 2009.
3.4 DME Award candidates’ use of
design support centres
Another method to review the contribution of
design support centres to the promotion and
development of design management was to ask the
entrants to the DME Award. Question 14 of the 2008
DME Award online application asked entrants if they
used a design support centre to assist them
developing their design capability. The online
application process was open from the 12 March
2008 until the 18
th
June 2008. With this information,
it was possible to review the percentage of the
entrants who worked with design support centres
and if it translated to the winners and honourable
mentions short listed for the award.
DESIGNSUPPORT
- Do you recommend businesses to involve
designers at an early stage of the development
of a project?
- When consulted for a specific project, do you
then recommend businesses to consider using
design in other areas (e.g corporate identity,
workplace design, promotional material,
services, etc)
- Do you promote the use of structured tools /
methodologies to make the most of the design
resources (e.g. benchmarking, competitor and
market analysis, focus groups, creativity
techniques, etc)
- Do you encourage evaluation and monitoring
of the design process?
BUSINESSSUPPORT
- Do you help businesses with the management
of projects (new product development, service
development)?
- Is design something you recommend
businesses to consider?
- Do you promote the role of design as an
enabling innovation?
- Do you promote design as a strategic business
tool?
Table 3. Indirect design management support questions
3.5 Sample
The selection of design support agencies does not
require any particular parameter due to the small
number and common interest in improving the
application of design within companies. However, the
selection of appropriate business support agencies
requires much more careful consideration due to the
large number of such organisations with different
remits and sponsorship. In developing an effective
filter for selection, the major consideration is
sponsorship or funding. Private consultancies are ruled
out due to their requirement to vend products based
on their own expertise. In such a situation, the
development of design management tools is likely to
only be in response to demand. Therefore, should
companies be unaware of the potential benefits of
effective design management, then consultants are
unlikely to find such demand. To provide parity with
the potential design support respondents, the business
support agencies should be not for profit
organisations.
The initial target sample was 20 design and 20 business
support centres. A total of 29 design support centres
and 25 business support centres participated in the
survey. Although the sample number of design support
centres is small (n=29) it is significant, considering that
there are estimated to be around 60 design support
centres and organisations in Europe.

9
Fig.6: Sample distribution
Key:
■ Design support centres
■ Business support centres

10
Chapter 5
Results and Analysis
5.1 Profiles
All 64 responses to the online questionnaires were
recorded by the online survey website and
separated into two groups: design support (29
responses) and business support (25 responses). The
results were then translated into individual profiles
of each respondent.
Three of the 64 profiles where made void by an
incomplete set of answers. Empty profile grids
represent respondents who answered ‘NO’ to Q6, ‘Is
design management an aspect of the support that
you provide to your clients?’. Profiles are numbered
to preserve anonymity.
5.1.1 Design support centres’ profiles for design
Key:
P = Design management promotion
S = Design management support
E = Design management education
R = Design management research
1 P 16 P
S S
E E
R R
2 P 17 P
S S
E E
R R
3 P 18 P
S S
E E
R R
4 P 19 P
S S
E E
R R
5 P 20 P V O I D
S S V O I D
E E V O I D
R R V O I D
6 P 21 P
S S
E E
R R
7 P 22 P
S S
E E
R R
8 P 23 P
S S
E E
R R
9 P 24 P
S S
E E
R R
10 P 25 P
S S
E E
R R
11 P 26 P
S S
E E
R R
12 P 27 P
S S
E E
R R
13 P 28 P
S S
E E
R R
14 P 29 P
S S
E E
R R
15 P
S
E
R

11
5.1.2 Business support centres’ profiles for
design management promotion
Key:
P = Design management promotion
S = Design management support
E = Design management education
R = Design management research
1 P 14 P
S S
E E
R R
2 P 15 P
S S
E E
R R
3 P 16 P
S S
E E
R R
4 P 17 P
S S
E E
R R
5 P 18 P
S S
E E
R R
6 P 19 P
S S
E E
R R
7 P 20 P V O I D
S S V O I D
E E V O I D
R R V O I D
8 P 21 P
S S
E E
R R
9 P 22 P
S S
E E
R R
10 P 23 P
S S
E E
R R
11 P 24 P V O I D
S S V O I D
E E V O I D
R R V O I D
12 P 25 P
S S
E E
R R
13 P
S
E
R
5.1.3 Consolidated design management promotion
profiles
The four profile factors (promotion, support, education
and research) for each group (design and business)
were counted and calculated as percentages. The
consolidated profiles of the two groups are
represented below in figures 7 and 8.
Design support centres
Fig. 7. The consolidated profile for design management promotion by
design support centres.
Business support centres
Fig. 8. The consolidated profile for design management promotion by
business support centres.

12
Figure 9 below illustrates the difference between the
two groups by simply representing the total profile
count as a percentage.
Fig. 9: Percentage of profile count for design support centres and
business support centres.
5.1.4 Overview of design management
promotion profiles
The profiles were developed in order to give a visual
indication of activities related to the promotion of
design management by support organisations across
Europe. The departure point for this profiling was
that each subsequent factor of the profiles
(promotion, support, education and research) is
reliant on some activity in the preceding factor (see
cycle in figure 4). That is, support is a more in-depth
activity than promotion; therefore, an organisation
that provides support is likely to also undertake
promotion. Similarly, education (at least formal
education) is more in-depth than support and
research is reliant on proficiency in education. Of
course, this premise is reliant on each of the
organisations complying with similar definitions of
each of the factors.
The consolidated results as presented in figures 7
and 8 appear to broadly support this idea with both
design support and business support centres
identifying more activity in promotion than support;
and more support activity than education. However,
in design support centres there is marginally more
research activity than education; and, in business
support centres there is almost 50% more research
activity than education.
Tables 5 and 6, and figures 10 and 11 present the
numbers of organisations reporting each level of
activity in each of the profile factors (NB. figures may
not sum to 100% due to rounding).
Important to note here that the profiles were
generated from respondents from each group that
answered positively to Q6 of the survey ‘Is Design
Management an aspect of the support that you
provide to your clients?’. From the design support
cohort, 90% (26 participants) responded positively at
this point; whereas, in the business support cohort
only 56% (14 participants) indicated that design
management provided any aspect of their support
portfolio (see table 4).
Question 6: Is design management an aspect of the
support that you provide to your clients?
DESIGN SUPPORT
CENTRES
BUSINESS SUPPORT
CENTRES
Yes 26 (90%) 14 (56%)
No 2 (7%) 9 (36%)
void 1 (3%) 2 (8%)
N=29 N=25
Table 4. Frequency of responses to question 6
Design support centres
Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
P 0 0 2(8%) 11 (42%) 13 (50%)
S 0 6(23%) 9(35%) 7(27%) 4(15%)
E 1(4%) 11 (42%) 2(8%) 9(35%) 3(12%)
R 4(15%) 3(12%) 8(31%) 6(23%) 5(19%)
N=26 (valid design support profiles)
Table 5. Design support respondent profile metrics (no cumulative)
Promotion
SupportEducation
Research
1
2
3
4
Fig. 10. Cumulative frequency (%) graph of the design management
promotion profile of design support centres.

13
Business support centres
Level 0 Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
P 0 0 3 (21%) 7 (50%) 4 (29%)
S 0 3 (21%) 7 (50%) 2 (14%) 2 (14%)
E 2 (14%) 5 (36%) 3 (21%) 3 (21%) 1 (7%)
R 2 (14%) 2 (14%) 2 (14%) 3 (21%) 5 (36%)
N=14 (valid design support profiles)
Table 6. Business support respondent profile metrics (no cumulative)
Promotion
SupportEducation
Research
1
2
3
4
Fig. 11. Cumulative frequency (%) graph of the design
management promotion profile of business support centres.
5.1.4.1 Promotion
Within the promotion factor of both cohorts, the
minimum reported level of activity was 2
(considering only companies that replied positively
to Q6). However, half of the design support centres
responded positively to all of the promotion
questions as opposed to 29% of the business support
cohort. The lowest reported level of promotion
activity (i.e. positive responses to two of the
promotion questions) was reported by 8% of the
design support group as opposed to 21% of the
business support group. Table 7 below demonstrates
the percentage positive responses to each of the
design management promotion profiling questions
for both groups of respondents.
% positive responses
Question DSC1
BSC2
Do you promote the effective
management of design?
100 100
Do you promote design
management as a distinct discipline
(separate to design)?
70 47
management at multi-party events
(e.g. at conferences and seminars)?
93 80
management at individual level (e.g.
through client visits and meetings)?
78 93
N=26 N=14
1
DSC - Design support centres
2
BSC - Business support centres
Table 7. Promotion profile
All of the profiling respondents from both groups
believed that their organisation promoted the effective
management of design in some way; although, most of
the business support respondents did not feel that
such promotion included the identification of design
management as a distinct discipline. In addition, a
significantly larger proportion of the Design support
group were involved in promoting design management
at multi-party events (e.g. conferences and seminars).
However, in terms of promoting design management
to individual clients, the business support cohort
indicated significantly higher levels of activity than the
design support group.
5.1.4.2 Support
All of the profile respondents from both cohorts
reported some activity in the provision of design
management support. Similar percentages of each
cohort answered positively to all of the support
questions (15% of the design support group and 14%
of business support). However, a significantly higher
percentage of the design support group answered
positively to three or more support questions
compared to the business support group (43% as
opposed to 28%). Table 8 below demonstrates the
percentage positive responses to each of the design
management support profiling questions for both
groups of respondents.

14
Question DSC BSC
Is design management an
aspect of the support that you
provide to your clients?
93 64
Do you guide design
management at the project
level during design support
activities?
62 60
In design support activities, is
design management
supported as a distinct
management activity?
42 33
Do you provide support for
projects exclusively focused
on design management?
31 33
N=26 N=14
Table 8. Support profile
The only significant difference in the percentage
responses between the two groups was to Q6 of the
survey. However, it must be noted that this was used
as an entry question to the profiling section of the
survey. Therefore, the response percentage related
to the entire respondent population of the survey
(i.e. 29 design support and 25 business support
organisations as opposed to 26 and 14 centres
respectively for the rest of the profiling responses).
In addition, as this control question requires a
positive response for any organisation to be included
in the profiles, it is not possible for any of the
profiled organisations to report no activity in design
management support. However, it is interesting that
once through this ‘gate’ activity is at a similar level
for both groups. Where there is a noticeable
difference is in Q12, ‘In design support activities, is
Design Management supported as a distinct
management activity?’ It is interesting to note that
9% more of the design support cohort answered
positively.
5.1.4.3 Education
From an overview of the profile, generally higher
levels of engagement with design management
education can be seen in the design support
agencies. Approaching half (47%) of the design
support group answered positively to either three or
four of the Education profiling questions compared to
28% of the business support agencies. Table 9 below
demonstrates the percentage positive responses to
each of the design management education profiling
questions for both groups of respondents.
Question DSC BSC
Through design projects, is there
any knowledge transfer regarding
design management to clients?
96 79
Do you provide educational
material on design management?
42 29
Do you provide design
management training courses for
clients?
39 29
Do you develop bespoke training
for clients?
35 36
N=26 N=14
Table 9. Education profile
The most significant difference between the two
groups is in regard to knowledge transfer (KT) to
industry that specifically relates to design
management. That is, 96% of design support agencies
identified such KT, as opposed to 79% of the business
support group. The next most significant difference
concerns the provision of educational material on
design management, with 13% more of the design
support group providing a positive response and 10%
more of this group providing training regarding design
management.
5.1.4.4 Research
Very similar levels of both groups undertake no
activities regarding design management research (15%
design support and 14% business support); however, it
is interesting to note that a significantly higher
percentage (36%)of business support organisations
answered positively to all the Research profile
questions than design support agencies (19%). This
result appears to buck the trend of the profiling results
of the other factors of design management promotion.
Table 10 below demonstrates the percentage positive
responses to each of the design management research
profiling questions for both groups of respondents.

15
Question DSC BSC
Do you provide bespoke design
management advice according to
individual client project's needs
(market analysis / user needs
etc.)?
54 69
Do you review your design
management interaction to
improve your services?
62 62
Do you develop applied research
from wider sources to assist
clients?
39 54
Do you get involved in
collaborative research to improve
design management?
62 69
N=26 N=14
Table 10. Research profile
Table 10 shows that business support agencies are
engaging more in developing design management
support as a bespoke service based on client needs.
This is evident from both Q18 ‘Do you provide
bespoke design management advice according to
individual client project's needs (market analysis /
user needs etc.)?’ and Q20 ‘Do you develop applied
research from wider sources to assist clients?’.
However, in terms of self assessment of design
management support for future engagement, both
groups indicated the same levels of activity. It is
interesting that a slightly higher percentage of
business support agencies are getting involved with
other organisations in order to improve their design
management capabilities.
5.2 Indirect Design Management Support
In addition to the profiling, the survey presented four
questions to gather information regarding indirect
support for design management. These questions
differed for each cohort due to the relationship of
design management to the respondents’ core
activities. That is, for design support agencies, the
questions enquired about design management in
relation to design activity; whereas, for the business
support cohort the questions asked about design
management in relation to management activities.
5.2.1 Indirect design management support in
design support centres
The questions regarding indirect design management
support to companies were based on the principles of
early design engagement (as design has a significant
impact on both development cost and product
performance); structured product development and
creative methods; evaluation and feedback; and cross-
fertilisation. The design support agencies indicated
high levels of activity in encouraging these principles,
as can be seen from table 11 below.
Indirect design management
question to design support centres
% positive
responses
Do you recommend businesses to involve
designers at an early stage of the
development of a project?
100
When consulted for a specific project, do
you then recommend businesses to consider
using design in other areas? (e.g. corporate
identity, workplace design, promotional
material, services, etc)
100
Do you promote the use of structured tools /
methodologies to make the most of the
design resources? (e.g. benchmarking,
competitor and market analysis, focus
groups, creativity techniques, user needs
analysis, etc)
71
Do you encourage evaluation and
monitoring of the design process?
93
N=28
Table 11. Responses to indirect design management support from
design support agencies

16
All of the design support centres indicated that
design should be introduced early in the
development of projects, and, all of the centres
reported that they would also recommend the use of
design in multiple business functions. It may be
surprising, however, that almost 30% of design
support centres do not promote the use of
structured tools or methods for the application of
design, especially as such tools are a common factor
in formal design education. In addition, 93%
encourage evaluation and monitoring of the design
process. One might assume that such evaluation
would be an aspect of formal development tools.
5.2.2 Indirect design management support in
business support centres
The questions regarding indirect support in business
support agencies seek to identify where design and
design management are referenced or considered in
business support projects. Table 12 below presents
percentage positive responses to this line of
questioning.
Indirect design management
Question to business support centres
% positive
responses
Do you help businesses with the
management of design projects (e.g. new
product development, service innovation,
etc)?
82
Is design something you recommend
businesses to consider?
86
Do you promote design as a strategic
branding tool?
68
Do you promote the role of design in
enabling innovation?
91
N=22
Table 12. Responses to indirect design management support from
business support agencies
It might be expected that positive responses to these
questions would be lower than to the corresponding
questions posed to the design support agencies as
design might be presumed to be a smaller sub-set of
management activities than the management of
design is to design activities. Indeed, the positive
response rate bears out such an expectation.
5.3 Barriers to design management
promotion
Each group of respondents was asked their opinions on
the barriers to promoting design management and
factors which could improve such promotion. Table 13
below presents the responses from each cohort.
% responses
from each group
DSC BSC
Lack of expertise / knowledge 64 64
Lack of demand from customers 60 50
Lack of demand from government 43 27
Lack of promotion 32 36
No financial support available to
57 59
Not our area of expertise 11 18
Inappropriate service 7 9
Need for design management not
identified
57 41
Not economically viable at a
meaningful level
14 23
Design support / Other comments:
Lack of measurement
Lack of understanding of what is design management, lack of
professional development recognition of design manager
professional profile
Business Support / Other comments:
Other partners in our region take up this role. When we detect
needs for design management, we bring our clients in contact with
these partners.
No awareness of the economic effectiveness of design among small
and medium size businesses, and among most public decision-
makers as well
Prejudice about the meaning of 'design' - industry in [our
geographical area] tends to associate design with 'just some nice
and trendy shapes' and will therefore not easily understand the
importance to see design as a management tool
Table 13. Respondents’ identification of barriers to design
The most commonly identified reason for both groups
not to provide design management promotion was a
lack of expertise or knowledge; this might demonstrate
the lack of cross-disciplinary knowledge of each group.
That is, design support groups do not have the
necessary management skills and business support
groups do not have design awareness. This might key
into another barrier that both groups face, lack of

17
access to financial support to deliver design
management services. In terms of an individual
organisation looking to fund design management
activities, how would they argue the necessary
competencies if they are not well versed in the
complementary skills of both design and
management? This suggests that collaboration
between design support and business support
agencies is required if design management
promotion is to have a positive impact on industry.
% responses from
each group
DSC BSC
Availability of design
management training
57 36
Developing collaboration with
other parties (e.g. working with
71 55
Funding 61 41
Raising public awareness of the
benefits of effective design
management practice
75 86
Table 14. Potential amelioration of design management
promotion barriers
Agreement that such collaboration could ameliorate
barriers to design management promotion can be
seen from the cohort of design support agencies
responses (see table 14), with over 70% identifying
collaboration as a factor that could improve
promotion of design management. However,
business support respondents were less enthusiastic
regarding collaboration. This may be expected as
from the point of view of a business support centre,
design is just one competency of many that must be
effective in order to facilitate business rewards;
whereas, for the design support community, the
effective management of design is required if their
core activities are to deliver to their maximum
potential.
5.4 DME Award candidates’ use of design
support centres
Question 14 of the 2008 DME Award application asked
the following multi-choice question: ‘Which of the
following does your company exploit to maximise
design capability?’. Table 15 shows the responses to
option 7, stating that the respondent uses services
from a design support centre.
Question 14: Which of the following does your company
exploit to maximise design capability?
‘We use a design support centre’
Yes 14 (8.6%)
No 138 (84.7%)
Null 11 (6.7%)
N=163
Table 15: Frequency of responses to question 6
The low representation of advice received from design
support centres in the table above, would indicate that
companies are either unaware or not interested in
using design support centres in maximising their design
capabilities.
Among the 14 positive responses to the question, five
of them received recognition (i.e. winner or
honourable mention) in the 2008 DME Award.

18
5.5 Opinions and feedback from
respondents
The comments below were selected from responses
given to the open question available in the
questionnaire. Contributors and their locations are
not given in order to preserve anonymity.
5.5.1 Feedback from design support centres
‘A special award to recognise design management
will be presented at this year’s annual national
design awards.’
‘We are currently working together with the national
agency for innovation on a program for design
promotion in Xxxxxxx. This involves also design
management.’
‘The Xxxxxxx Club of Design Managers, a network of
design managers working in Xxxxxxx or with interest
in our city, thinking of opening a design studio
branch for example.’
‘A training programme on Design Management
targeting specific sectors will be delivered in spring
2009. Design Management topic will be continuously
raised during 1-1 meetings with SMEs. Design
Management services will be promoted to the 12
new Business Centres that were established in
different cities of Xxxx recently, regarding the needs
of the SMEs in their regions.’
‘Our organisation is still young and under
development. There is a lack of skills in the field of
design management, however, we are working on
developing new activities in which design
management will obtain a principal role.’
5.5.2 Feedback from business support centres
‘We promote applied research in the field of
Sustainability. Developing and applying in company's
methodologies of design for sustainability with the
integration of other methodologies, such as, Eco-
efficiency, Value Analysis, Cleaner Production,
Product Service systems, Environmental Management
and other activities.’
‘I am personally involved in promoting the exploitation
of design methods & design management via private
consultancies, and even the Xxxxxxxxx Federation of
Industry.’
‘In the coming year, we are planning to focus more on
design and also assist companies with development of
products, via Rapid Prototyping support together with
other Design related tools. In the past we have
organised Product Development training for our clients
and possibly we seek to continue this training in the
coming period.’
‘As manager of XXXX, I see the XXX(local design centre)
as a critical cog in the growth and development of the
start-up businesses we are working with, not just
during the period of time that the businesses are
located here, but also when they have graduated from
the centre. XXXX is about enabling entrepreneurs so
that they become successful companies. Entrepreneur
enabling is first about creating the conditions for the
entrepreneurs to emerge and then supporting these
entrepreneurs in appropriate ways. Start-ups benefit
enormously from access to the expertise, facilities and
equipment to be found in XXXX (local college). The
expertise of the XXXX (local design centre) is one of
these supports. Indigenous SMEs, particularly
technology or knowledge-based, are predicted to be
the most significant engine of economic and
employment growth in the XXXXXX economy over the
next decade. XXXXXX by providing the best possible
supports by using resources like the XXXX (local design
centre) will turn this prediction into a reality.’
‘During the last two years the Investment and
Development Agency of XXXXXXX has been extensively
working on fostering the innovative, sustainable and
profitable manufacturing in XXXXXXXX, emphasizing
the added value of design for the competitiveness of
products and services. To clarify the necessity of design
for manufacturing, identify the cooperation
opportunities between the designers and producers
and provide the consultations of competent experts
about developing the products design. In 2007 the
Agency started the project “Design development

19
support for manufacturing companies”. Within the
project’s framework, 15 small and medium
XXXXXXXX companies have participated in design
audit and received the individual consultations of
the design experts on developing the product’s
design. Supporting the implementation of design
audit’s results into manufacturing, in 2008 the
Agency has organized the second stage of this
project. The state support covered 50% of royalty of
the designers, who within the framework of the
project have worked for the manufacturers,
developing a design of a certain product.’
‘Large scale project 'humanisation' / seminar about
design management for B2B / individual consultancy
to companies / training / etc.’
‘We collaborate with XXXXX, in the 'XXXX Network
Innovation management'. Next to this 'learning
network', XXXXX organises a 'Learning Network
product development and design', together with
XXX(local design centre). Also, we just started a
project 'Innovation in the heart of Europe', together
with XXX and XXX, where we will promote innovative
products from the Euro region XXXX/XXXXXX.’
‘We promote design as part of innovation in co-
operation with high schools and innovation centre.
We target the entrepreneurs to the specialist.’
‘Design management is one of the items in our plans
for the creative industry. The main items for the
creative industy sector is to stimulate
entrepreneurship by designers and to stimulate the
use of design by SMEs.’
‘Our project will promote innovation over the
border. We strive to have more cooperation
between the north of XXXX and the South of XXX.
When companies want to innovate they don't have
to stay in the company itself but take also a look at
the design and innovation centres next to them and
also over the border.’
5.6 Key findings considering the original
hypotheses
promote design management as a distinct discipline
This hypothesis is not supported by the research. Of
the respondent design support agencies 70% reported
that they do promote design management as a distinct
discipline (separate to design) and 100% of the
respondents indicated that the promotion of the
effective management of design forms some part of
their remit.
support aspects of design management by supporting
the use of design
This hypothesis is supported by the research, with all
of the design support agencies indicating some
activities that will promote design management. That
is, early phase design involvement and the use of
design across a range of business functions. In
addition, over 70% of the design support agencies
promote the use of structured tools for the facilitation
of effective design; and, 93% encourage monitoring
and evaluation of the design process.
discipline
The research demonstrates good support for this
hypothesis. From the sample of 25 business support
centres, just 14 (56%) answered positively to Q6, ‘Is
Design Management an aspect of the support that you
provide to your clients?’(see table 4) and then went
through the profiling process. Of those that were
profiled, only 47% answered positively to Q8, ‘Do you
promote design management as a distinct discipline
(separate to design)?’. Therefore, just 28% of the
business support respondents claim to promote design
management as a distinct discipline.

20
Hypotheses H4: The promotion and support of
design management is under-represented given the
influence
Figures 10 and 11 demonstrated the cumulative
design management promotion and support
responses from the 16 identified design
management promotion factors. These figures also
showed that design support agencies are
undertaking 58% of these activities and business
support agencies are undertaking 36% (figure 9).
These results demonstrate support for H4. This
hypothesis is supported for both design support
centres and business support centres. With 28 valid
responses from design support agencies, each
responding to 16 design management profile factors
gives a maximum level of support from the
responding population of 448 (16x28) factors;
however, the total cumulative positive responses
was 261 (58%). For the responding business support
population, the maximum level was 368 (23x16); the
total cumulative positive responses was 133 (36%).
The radar diagram in figure 12 visualises the areas in
which design management support is actively
delivered by each cohort. Although it is clear that
there are much greater levels of support in all areas
being delivered via design support centres, the
relative levels of support for each area appear
similar for both groups. The radar diagram
demonstrates that both groups promote design
management to a much greater degree than actually
supporting design management; yet lower levels of
activity are going on regarding design management
education and research.
Fig. 12. Profile factors for design support centres in comparison to
business support centres

21
Chapter 6
Conclusion
This report set out to investigate design
management promotion in Europe. Through the
identification that such promotion was likely to be
delivered by either the design support or business
support communities; four hypotheses were
developed for testing:
promote design management as a distinct discipline.
support aspects of design management by
supporting the use of design.
discipline.
Hypothesis H4: The promotion and support of design
management is under-represented given the
influence.
The overall research departure point for these
hypotheses was that effective design management
activities are outside of the scope of both design
support and business support agencies. This is
because design support agencies lack management
knowledge; and, business support agencies lack
design competencies.
H1 was not supported by the research, as 70% of
design support respondents recognised design
management as a distinct discipline. The rest of the
hypotheses were supported. Although design
support agencies recognise design management as a
distinct discipline, there is a significant shortfall in
the levels of design management activity between
support agencies and industry. The analysis of the
results supports the overall departure point of
design management being outside of the scope of both
design support and business support agencies. There is
significant support for collaboration with business
support centres from Design Support centres to
address design management promotion; however,
access to funding for design management activities is a
barrier that both groups identified. This report
recommends that support is developed for active
design management collaboration between design
support and business support agencies to develop and
deliver design management support services. Further,
the recommendation is that such collaboration should,
in the main, be led by design support centres due to
the much higher levels of design management activity
already being developed by this group.

22
Appendix
Online questionnaire in
design management promotion
Design support centres sent version A
Business support centre sent version B (in blue italics)
Reference
1. Name of Design Support Centre
1. Name of Business Support Centre
2. Country
3. Name of contact
4. Telephone number (please indicate code area)
5. Do you believe there is significant value in applying
specific management skills to design?
5. Do you believe it is worthwhile to integrate design in
other business activities?
Control question (also first question of ‘Support’ profile)
6. Is design management an aspect of the support that
you provide to your clients?
yes  directed to question 7 (Design
management profiling)
no  directed to question 22 (Indirect
design management support)
Design management profiling
Promotion
7. Do you promote the effective management of
design?
8. Do you promote design management as a distinct
discipline (separate to design)?
9. Do you promote design management at multi-party
events (e.g. at conferences and seminars)?
10. Do you promote design management at individual
level (e.g. through client visits and meetings?)
Support
11. Do you guide design management at the project
level during design support activities?
12. In design support activities, is design management
supported as a distinct management activity?
13. Do you provide support for projects exclusively
focused on design management?
Education
14. Through design projects, is there any knowledge
transfer regarding design management to clients?
15. Do you provide educational material on design
management?
16. Do you provide design management training courses
for clients?
17. Do you develop bespoke training for clients?
Research
18. Do you provide bespoke design management advice
according to individual client project’s needs (market
analysis / user needs etc.)?
19. Do you review your design management interaction to
improve your services?
20. Do you develop applied research from wider sources
to assist clients?
21. Do you get involvement in collaborative research to
improve design management?
Indirect design management support
22. Do you recommend businesses to involve designers
at an early stage of the development of a project?
22. Do you help businesses with the management of
design projects (e.g. new product development,
service innovation, etc?)
23. When consulted for a specific project, do you then
recommend businesses to consider using design in
other areas (e.g. corporate identity, workplace
design, promotional material, services)?
23. Is design something you recommend businesses to
consider?
24. Do you promote the use of structured tools /
methodologies to make the most of the design
resources?
(e.g. benchmarking, competitor and market analysis,
focus groups, creativity techniques, user needs
analysis, etc)
24. Do you promote design as a strategic branding tool?
25. Do you encourage evaluation and monitoring of the design
process?

23
25. Do you promote the role of design in enabling
innovation?
Barriers to DM promotion and ameliorating factors
26. What do you believe are the barriers to
promoting design management?
[ ] lack of expertise / knowledge
[ ] lack of demand from customers
[ ] lack of demand from government
[ ] lack of promotion
[ ] no financial support available to
[ ] not our area of expertise
[ ] inappropriate service
[ ] need for DM promotion not identified
[ ] not economically viable at a meaningful
level
[ ] other
27. In your opinion, which factors could improve the
promotion of DM?
[ ] providing training to advisors
[ ] developing collaboration with other
parties (e.g. working with design or
[ ] funding
[ ] tools
[ ] external raising awareness of the issue /
of the benefits of DM
[ ] other
28. Please use this space to add more information
about any of the design management promotion
activities that are or will be taking place in your
support centre.

24
The National Centre for Product Design &
Development Research (PDR),
University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC),
Western Avenue,
Cardiff,
CF5 2YB
UK
Tel: +44 (0)29 2041 6668
www.pdronline.co.uk
www.uwic.ac.uk
www.designmanagementeurope.com
The ADMIRE programme and DME Award are
made possible with financing from the European
Union through the PRO INNO Europe initiative.

Design Management Promotion in Europe

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (18)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (17)

Similar to Design Management Promotion in Europe

Similar to Design Management Promotion in Europe (20)

More from DUCO

More from DUCO (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Design Management Promotion in Europe