Design should be treated as more than a business tool

For design read value? Richard Eisermann is obviously in the right job, working in a quango for a Government that would seek to justify everything – even something as preciously diverse as design – by measurement (Comment, DW 13 October).

It is yet another step on the road to the commoditisation of something that should be held more dear. It’s a shame that this crude step is apparently endorsed by the Design Council, which should, perhaps, have loftier thoughts.

The outcome of some aspects of design should be subject to value measurement. But the true worth of design, as opposed to simply value, needs to be understood in a wider cultural context, and in its contribution to our national way of life, not just to gross domestic product.

How, I wonder, does Eisermann measure that?

Rodney Fitch, Chairman, Fitch, London W2