In search of design excellence

This paper is based on part of the results of an extensive survey of the role of new product design in international competitiveness. It reviews the literature on design management and highlights some weaknesses in the way in which design is managed in many UK industries, which apparently places the UK at a competitive disadvantage in manufacturing exports when compared with their major foreign competitors. The paper examines ways in which the management of design many be enhanced to improve design quality and achieve greater competitiveness. It was found that to maximize achievements in design, innovators must not only create awareness, but also create a climate in which everyone is committed to design quality throughout the organization. A wide range of functions involved in design management — managerial, marketing, technical, financial, etc. — must also be ‘happily married’ to achieve product excellence and hence market success.