Their cash, our brains – a winning team

I am excited by the suggestions provided by various contributors to your issue last week (DW 15 July). It took me a while, but here’s my contribution to what could be an ongoing debate, taking on board all their ideas.

First we have two Voxpop respondents – Terence Woodgate and Robin Levien – who both offer the idea of donating time and effort to the future growth of our industry. Terrific ideas both, but who is to administer and channel all this time and value into measurable programmes?

Then we have David Kester’s Insight piece about ’plan bee’ and his clear and well articulated conclusions about ’economic honey’. He has the organisation to administer the philanthropy suggested by Woodgate and Levien and direct its focus.

This all ties in neatly with Lynda Relph-Knight’s Comment column regarding nimble and challenger brands and the support they need.

Then we have maybe the best idea of all, from Chris Harrison, again in Voxpop. This is real creativity – take a donation from the entire English football squad of a full year’s income and toss in Fabio Capello’s and maybe Mr Beckham’s too, and we will have a fund of around £200m.

Since this entire fund would be generated by an idea promoted in DW then we should keep 25 per cent commission – ie £50m.

This sum will be drawn down by the Design Council and used as a budget for all the donated days from the industry gurus, and for the general development of the design industry’s contribution to national growth in the next decade. Who knows, five new Dysons?

Gerry Postlethwaite, by e-mail