Dateien
EU Working Document on Design
Design as a driver of user-centred innovation
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Brussels, 7.4.2009
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Commission Staff Working Document on ‘Design as a driver of user-centred innovation’
analyses the contribution of design to innovation and competitiveness. The results are
compelling: companies that invest in design tend to be more innovative, more profitable and
grow faster than those who do not. At a macro-economic level, there is a strong positive
correlation between the use of design and national competitiveness.
Although often associated with aesthetics and the ‘looks’ of products only, the application of
design is in reality much broader. User needs, aspirations and abilities are the starting point
and focus of design activities. With a potential to integrate for example environmental, safety
and accessibility considerations — in addition to economic — into products, services and
systems, design is an area which deserves public attention.
Design as a driver and enabler of innovation complements more traditional innovation
activities such as research. In the current economic climate, where resources for innovation
are scarce, design and other non-technological innovation drivers, such as organisational
development, employee-involvement and branding, become particularly relevant. They often
are less capital intensive and have shorter pay-back periods than for example technological
research, but still have the potential to drive competitiveness.
Potential barriers exist to better use of design for innovation in Europe. Design as a tool for
innovation has developed rapidly in recent years, resulting notably in concepts such as
strategic design, design management and design thinking. Innovation policy and support, as
well as education systems, have not yet caught up with these developments. Companies that
lack experience of design — particularly SMEs, low-tech companies and companies not
located in big cities where design businesses tend to concentrate — often do not know where
to turn for professional help in the area of design. Design businesses are generally very small,
a factor affecting their marketing and influencing powers.
Although many European ‘innovation leaders’ such as Finland, Denmark and the UK are
tapping into the potential of design as a tool for sustainable innovation, other Member States
pay little political attention to design.
The document concludes that design has the potential to become an integral part of European
innovation policy, a building block of a policy model that encourages innovation driven by
societal and user needs, and that builds on existing European strengths such as our heritage,
creativity and diversity to make Europe more innovative.
Based on this document, the European Commission has launched an online public consultation. Depending on the results of the consultation, future joint European action could
include non-binding cooperation, sharing of experiences and good practice, and the setting of
common targets and benchmarking. The development of tools and support mechanisms for
design-driven, user-centred innovation, networking and research, and collaboration in
education and training are areas of action that could help remove some of the barriers to better use of design in Europe.
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Brussels, 7.4.2009
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Commission Staff Working Document on ‘Design as a driver of user-centred innovation’
analyses the contribution of design to innovation and competitiveness. The results are
compelling: companies that invest in design tend to be more innovative, more profitable and
grow faster than those who do not. At a macro-economic level, there is a strong positive
correlation between the use of design and national competitiveness.
Although often associated with aesthetics and the ‘looks’ of products only, the application of
design is in reality much broader. User needs, aspirations and abilities are the starting point
and focus of design activities. With a potential to integrate for example environmental, safety
and accessibility considerations — in addition to economic — into products, services and
systems, design is an area which deserves public attention.
Design as a driver and enabler of innovation complements more traditional innovation
activities such as research. In the current economic climate, where resources for innovation
are scarce, design and other non-technological innovation drivers, such as organisational
development, employee-involvement and branding, become particularly relevant. They often
are less capital intensive and have shorter pay-back periods than for example technological
research, but still have the potential to drive competitiveness.
Potential barriers exist to better use of design for innovation in Europe. Design as a tool for
innovation has developed rapidly in recent years, resulting notably in concepts such as
strategic design, design management and design thinking. Innovation policy and support, as
well as education systems, have not yet caught up with these developments. Companies that
lack experience of design — particularly SMEs, low-tech companies and companies not
located in big cities where design businesses tend to concentrate — often do not know where
to turn for professional help in the area of design. Design businesses are generally very small,
a factor affecting their marketing and influencing powers.
Although many European ‘innovation leaders’ such as Finland, Denmark and the UK are
tapping into the potential of design as a tool for sustainable innovation, other Member States
pay little political attention to design.
The document concludes that design has the potential to become an integral part of European
innovation policy, a building block of a policy model that encourages innovation driven by
societal and user needs, and that builds on existing European strengths such as our heritage,
creativity and diversity to make Europe more innovative.
Based on this document, the European Commission has launched an online public consultation. Depending on the results of the consultation, future joint European action could
include non-binding cooperation, sharing of experiences and good practice, and the setting of
common targets and benchmarking. The development of tools and support mechanisms for
design-driven, user-centred innovation, networking and research, and collaboration in
education and training are areas of action that could help remove some of the barriers to better use of design in Europe.