A new report calls for each Government department to have its own Head of Design

edited May 2014 in creations
The digital sector is hailed as a success story and a driving force behind the UK economy, yet the authors of a new report say it will fail to reach its full potential without the strategic use of design.

Designing the Digital Economy, published by the Design Commission, calls for measures such as a head of design for each Government department and a chief user officer on all large Government infrastructure projects, such as HS2 or large-scale housing developments.

The argument made is that design can act as a necessary link between digital technology and user experience. In doing so it can help support future growth of the creative and digital sector, which Government says is now worth £71 billion to the UK economy.

The report follows an inquiry co-chaired by Lord Inglewood and Gillian Youngs, Professor of Digital Economy at Brighton University.

‘For many’, they say, ‘design has traditionally been about consumer products and their uses, or a matter of mere styling.

‘Although this has never been the sum total of design’s remit, we argue that the digital economy now opens up new possibilities for design to play as yet unimagined roles in helping us to understand and navigate a newly connected world.’

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Comments

  • i think it's a good thing, but i'll believe it when i see it. not sure how much weight businesses are going to put in to a report from the design council telling them to spend more on design, innit.

    (yeah, i know it's not strictly for businesses, still...)
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