DBA publishes design firm directory offering full business profiles
01 June 2011
A database containing the financial details and other confidential data of Britain’s top design businesses is being launched to help protect standards and professionalism in the industry. The directory, published by the Design Business Association (DBA), includes information about design firms’ turnover, fee structure, corporate policies and areas of expertise. It is aimed at helping clients to identify and access reputable and qualified design services.
More than £11billion is spent on external design in the UK every year but there is concern that the sector’s reputation is being compromised by unqualified operators and cheap competition from abroad. Publication of the directory is intended to ensure potential clients have easy access to the industry’s most reputable firms.
Designed and approved by a client advisory panel and containing several tiers of confidential information, it can be accessed by potential clients using security cleared passwords.
Keith Forbes, co-director of Glasgow-based design agency Good Creative and a board member of the DBA, said: “The bottom line for business is that there is now a repository of the best members of the design industry all of whom have proven track records of success.
“Clients now have easy access to the industry’s best professionals, with all their paperwork in order. In addition, the top tier of agencies will have case studies to prove their effectiveness and their ability to provide a return on investment.
“It will allow potential clients to find procurement-ready design consultancies quickly and efficiently, saving them, as well as design companies, a lot of money and heartache.
“Good communications that get real results and a return on investment come from mutual respect and an honest, long term working partnership between client and agency.”
The directory contains a comprehensive guide through every stage of the design process – from selection and briefing, through to choosing the design route.
It includes details of design agencies’ rate cards, which vary depending on the agency's size, experience and overheads. The cost of a brand identity can be anything from £1000 to £100,000.
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