What is design?
"From the spoon to the city" design is everywhere.
Design is what happens when people use creativity to solve problems.
Computers and coffee cups, skyscrapers and socks. Everything not made by nature, has been designed.
Britain is a world leader in design.
We've interviewed some of the most prominent figures from across the world of design in our Life in Design series. Hear their unique stories about their education pathway, their career highlights and what their day to day as a designer looks like.
Margaret Calvert
Margaret is a legend of British graphic design and has been responsible for designing some of the most iconic pictograms that are known around the world, such as the ‘man at work’. In this film she talks about her early career and how she got started before graphic design was even a term, lessons she’s learned along the way, how the industry has changed and her advice for budding designers.
Xavier de Kestelier
Xavier is the Head of Design and Head of Innovation at Hassell studio in London. He is an architect and designer who has worked on numerous projects through his career. In this film he talks about how he got started as a designer, advice he has and what it's like to design on everything from a space station to a light fitting.
Foday Dumbuya
Foday is the Founder and Creative Director of Labrum London. His designs are inspired by his Sierra Leone heritage and stunning British tailoring. He originally started as an information designer but knew he wanted to tell cultural stories and screens wasn't the place for it. His brand prides itself on living and breathing sustainable values and creating a legacy for the future.
Karlijn Sibbel
Karlijn is the Innovation Director at Notpla, an innovative biomaterials company creating regenerative packaging. She spoke to us about how she wove creativity into her scientific career, the power we have to replace plastics and what the future might look like.
Our impact
We are the only UK institution dedicated to all design disciplines. We help government, businesses and communities better understand what design is and the economic, social and environmental benefits it brings.
Our work focuses on three key areas:
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Championing design.
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Providing skills, tools and knowledge.
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Working in partnership.
How can designers upskill to make change?
As part of our Upskill 1 million designers project over the next 12 months, we will be convening education and training stakeholders and designers themselves to co-design what these green skills are and what the upskilling programme needs to look like, driving both government and private sector funding.
Design is critical, from the classroom to the C-Suite. The path to 1 million starts in schools.
There has been a 68% decrease in the number of students taking Design & Technology at GCSE level. We want to help change this and so have collaborated with key stakeholders and designers to create the Blueprint for Renewal; our recommendations to government for a crucial reform of the subject.
If you are an educator or organisation who could help with the upskilling mission we’d love to hear from you.