Design effectiveness transcends bottom line

Absolutely right – “design effectiveness is about meeting goals – financial and others – and bringing joy or added convenience”

(Comment, DW 7 June). But the Design Business Association’s Design Effectiveness Awards running in association with Marketing Week do not focus on financial “bottom line” benefits to the exclusion of everything else, as perhaps might be implied.

There is an impressive list of benefits, financial and non financial, to be gained from using design effectively, and it isn’t just businesses that can win; charities and not-for-profit organisations can also be successful.

Since entrants have to show that it was the design rather than the price, the advertising or the display that led to the results achieved, this shows that the target audience has been influenced by the design and has consciously or otherwise voted for it.

Of course, ours are not the only awards worth giving and receiving, and it is right to include design excellence and schemes which the public vote as worthy.

But if, as you say, “the only way to know a design fits the bill is to set out clear objectives… and ensure that the result at least meets those criteria”, then we are talking about design effectiveness. The goal is to create a world where the really effective designs also fulfil the prevailing definitions of excellence.

Ian Rowland-Hill

Chief executive

Design Business Association

London EC1