26/08/22

Economic Relevance of Design. Results from the bayern design study

The study in collaboration with Joachim Kobuss was conducted first and foremost to gather information on topics related to design in Bavaria including the situation regarding the design sector after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic value created by design and design services, and the roles design and providers of design services play in company strategies.

The management summary and recommendations for action are available in English (pages 64-67).

Key results at a glance

• The impact of the Corona pandemic on the business situation was less than anticipated. Since February 2022, however, the situation has been severely clouded by the war in Ukraine.
• Almost 60% of the companies surveyed employ staff designers. The remaining 40% are distributed among solo self-employed in the design industry and medium-sized companies without an in-house design department.
• Only one tenth of the respondents offer design consulting, although this is likely to be a great potential for the design industry.
• There are clear differences in the stated competencies, especially with regard to future development fields — a great opportunity for Bavarian designers.
• Overall, the economic relevance of design is rated as high by 84% of the respondents.

Recommended actions include

• The design sector must emphasize and communicate its economic relevance to a larger extent by using assessment approaches in a professional manner with the objective of substantiating the contribution of design services to the value chain.
• Companies and institutions using design-relevant services (delivered by external service providers or internal employees) must be aware of the economic relevance of these services and must analyze their contribution to the value chain.

See full study at
bayern-design.de