Businesses need educating about the value of design

At Design Wales Forum we promote the value of design to businesses and encourage designers to value their work. How deeply disappointing that the launch of Startup Britain highlights the need to educate the wider business community further about design.

The site initially featured crowdsourcing sites, which promote the notion that designers are happy to enter into ’contests’ to vie for design work. A ’winner’ is chosen by the client and then paid for their labours.

As designers, most of us realise that this is not the best way to get the most business-effective design work. So how do we educate the wider business community about this? How do we discourage designers from engaging in these crowdsourcing sites? The debate will unfortunately continue to rumble on.

We can all play a part in educating not just the wider business community, but some of our fellow designers about the value of design.

Design Wales Forum’s contribution to this is to make a film, The Business Value of Design. This has been made specifically to show to business groups to promote design as a strategic tool for business growth.

We will continue to encourage Welsh designers to value what they do.

Victoria Jones, Co-ordinator, Design Wales Forum, Cardiff CF5 2YB