New NEA Report Makes the Case That Design Boosts Business
A new report by the National Endowment for the Arts entitled "Rural Arts, Design & Innovation in America: Research Findings from the Rural Establishment Innovation Survey (REIS)"(link is external) helps make the case that design boosts business. The report's accompanying research brief, "Innovation and Design Use by Small Manufacturers(link is external)," finds:
Business innovation rises sharply with design use. Among US small manufacturers that invest in design, 83.7 are substantive innovators, a designation of the REIS that recognizes businesses that encourage new practices and products.
Businesses that have fully integrated design within their practices report expanded offerings and access to new markets.
80 percent of design-integrated businesses report growth in market share or having entered new markets. By contrast, 47 percent of businesses that do not systematically use design realized those outcomes.
See the rest of the findings, and read the full report here.
Learn more about the University of the Arts Industrial Design program here.