Product groups’ fee-income doesn’t reflect royalties

I was interested to read your recent Top 100 Design Consultancy Survey (Supplement, DW 13 June) and in particular the global top ten product groups.

I agree that fees in the product sector are low compared to say branding or packaging, but one important factor that you failed to point out is the opportunity for product groups to work on a royalty/fee basis with clients.

The very fact that product design requires innovation and proprietary features in order to sell itself apart from the competition gives the creators a very valuable bargaining tool for demanding a royalty. This therefore increases the income from each individual project.

Lucas Tyler

Creative director

Evolve NPD

London SW8

lucas@evolveco.com