New design business models - Implications for the future of design management

Design management in the UK has developed significantly since the early 1990s, with design managers now operating across both design consultancies and within businesses. These organizations operate in a dynamic global environment; as such it is necessary to respond to changes, especially in the business environment in which the design industry itself operates. This chapter draws on the results of a study conducted by the authors and colleagues into the future of the UK design industry, which considers the implications for design management in the design consultancy sector as well as design management in its client base. The study described in this chapter, Design 2020, identifies challenges and opportunities that the UK design industry will face in the second decade of the twenty-first century and presents a framework to signpost and support change.1 The remainder of this chapter explains the research context, the findings of each stage of the study, followed by discussion of the results with implications and recommendations for those involved in design management.