"Creativity is the key to national prosperity"

Sir George Cox, Chairman, Design Council

RSS XML

Why creativity in business matters

Cover of the Cox Review of Creativity in Business UK businesses can stay ahead of their global rivals by drawing on the country's world-leading design capabilities, says Design Council Chairman George Cox's Review of Creativity in Business.

Then Chancellor Gordon Brown, who commissioned the report, backed all its recommendations, aimed at raising business awareness of how creativity can boost performance and creating more demand for creativity and design through business support services and government incentives.

The report also sets out to broaden the creative skills and insight of tomorrow's business leaders, engineers and technologists, and use the massive spending power of public procurement to generate more innovation from businesses

Sir George's recommendations include:

A national support programme, modelled on the Design Council's work with businesses, to help SMEs use design
A review of whether strategic design work should be eligible for R&D tax credits
Centres of excellence in higher education for multi-disciplinary courses combining management studies, engineering and technology and creative disciplines
A new approach to public procurement to encourage suppliers to be more innovative
Raising the profile of the creative industries through a national network of design centres.

Gordon Brown welcomed all these recommendations in his Pre-Budget Review in December 2005.

In December 2006, the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alistair Darling, asked the Design Council to report, by February 2007 on progress made towards harnessing the UK’s creative capabilities to support the nation’s productivity, performance and sustainability.

Read about Alistair Darling's challenge to UK industry
Download a copy of the Cox Review from the Treasury's website

Is the UK making enough use of design and creativity?

Stage: We are consulting widely across the design and business community. Have you had your say?
Addressing: Driving competitiveness in industry

What’s the issue?

The then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alistair Darling, asked the Design Council to produce a report on the take-up of design by UK industry.

Perspectives

David Kester

Design Council Chief Executive

Britain has to become more impatient to deliver progress, as we are not reacting quickly enough to the challenge. The Design Council is continuing to work with business and the public sector to embrace design, but there is a long way to go before its potential significantly to contribute to economic competitiveness is fully exploited. Britain has great creative capabilities, but it is currently sitting on an under-utilised asset. We need to act now, before it is too late.

More perspectives and the chance to contribute

This project is part of The Cox Review of Creativity in Business

Group of nurses discussing public services

Can we create better public services using design?

Stage: We have prototyped some new ideas for public services
Addressing: Improving innovation in public services

Why is this an issue for design?

How can we use design methods and processes to not only encourage innovation from suppliers, but innovation in services themselves?

This project is part of The Cox Review of Creativity in Business

Could your business claim R&D tax credits?

Stage: Treasury recommendations are being implemented
Addressing: Driving competitiveness in industry

Why is this an issue for design?

Design is an essential part of any good research and development (R&D) process – it helps to translate scientific knowledge into products that people can use and want to buy, and that companies can profit from.

This project is part of The Cox Review of Creativity in Business

How can we encourage creativity in smaller businesses?

Stage: We have launched a programme called Designing Demand
Addressing: Driving competitiveness in industry, Supporting growth in the creative economy

What stops small companies from being more innovative?

Smaller businesses would make greater use of creativity if they were more aware of the benefits.

This project is part of The Cox Review of Creativity in Business

Do we need a national network of design centres?

Stage: A report is being prepared by the LDA and the Design Council
Addressing: Driving competitiveness in industry, Supporting growth in the creative economy

What's the issue here?

The Cox Review recommened that a network of ‘Creativity and Innovation’ centres should be set up throughout the UK with a central hub in London.

This project is part of The Cox Review of Creativity in Business

Cover of the Cox Review of Creativity in Business