Design Council

01/09/2026

Design reaches far beyond studios and agencies. It can be found across the economy, shaping how organisations work, what they make and the value they create.

The Design Economy reports bring this breadth into focus. It gives us a shared way to understand the people, industries and activity behind design’s contribution to the UK.

Swipe through to explore what we mean by the Design Economy in preparation for the Design Economy 2026 launch.

🔗 Sign up to the Design Council newsletter ((https://assets-gbr.mkt.dynamics.com/90408acb-8077-427b-8b7a-85a69661fd86/digitalassets/standaloneforms/d0395041-4303-f111-8407-000d3ad54a9b )) to be among the first to explore the findings and get the report straight to your inbox when it launches.

11/08/2026

Invention is only one part of innovation.

Planet-centred innovation challenges the idea that new automatically means better. Every product, service or system carries choices about resources, energy, access and behaviour.

Design makes those choices visible early, connecting environmental ambition, human need and commercial viability.

The outcome might be a new technology, a redesigned service, circular business model or new use for existing materials.

Where could widening the brief change your work?

Explore the Skills for Planet Blueprint to identify which green design skills to build next (https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/skills-for-planet/), and watch our Net Zero Living Programme film to see how design can strengthen environmental innovation in practice (https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/projects-programmes/net-zero-living/).

05/08/2026

The transition to net zero needs innovation and design.

For new products and services to create meaningful change, they must respond to genuine needs and be ready for widespread adoption. Yet many businesses developing net zero solutions lack the design skills needed to move from a promising idea to a market-ready proposition.

Through Innovate UK’s Net Zero Living User-Focused Design programme, we supported 47 businesses across heat, power, mobility and sustainable manufacturing. Design coaching and user research helped them better understand their users, strengthen their propositions and de-risk innovation.

The results make a strong case for investing in design. 73% of innovations progressed to pilot stage. One year later, participating businesses reported securing £5.7 million in private investment.

Discover what the programme achieved, watch the full Net Zero Living film, and read our final report, Designing for Net Zero Living, via the link in bio.

30/07/2026

Young designers are entering a sector with fewer junior roles and growing uncertainty around how careers begin. Without clear routes in, businesses risk losing the future judgement, leadership and range of perspectives that keep design relevant.

Recent LSE research offers a more complex account of the decline in early-career hiring. It suggests this trend cannot be attributed to generative AI alone. How work is organised, and how people develop within it, also deserves attention.

This gives businesses an opportunity to act and to ensure entry-level positions are protected.

💬 What conditions do you think businesses need to create for the senior designers of tomorrow?

28/07/2026

A career in design is not built on technical ability alone. It develops through experience, shared knowledge and a better understanding of the conditions in which design happens.

But access to this knowledge should not depend on having the right contacts or being in the right room.

The new Creative Industries Skills Audits, produced by the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre () and Work Advance, point to a sector ready for growth, but at risk of being held back by persistent skills gaps.

Closing those gaps requires action across education, industry and the wider design sector. We have brought together some of the tools, films and platforms available to support designers at different stages of their careers.

Which resources have helped you develop your practice as a designer?

Discover our resources on designcouncil.org.uk or sign up to the Design Council newsletter for the latest, research, resources and opportunities. Link in bio.

23/07/2026

As part of our Design Journeys series, we caught up with Louis Jacques Wright.

In 2024, Louis received our Design for Planet Prize at New Designers for Organic Opulence, a graduate project exploring how living materials could challenge the waste and disposability associated with costume jewellery.

Louis shares what he has been up to since graduation, offering an honest account of pursuing an idea without a set brief or established path. He reflects on sustaining confidence through setbacks and the value of the unconventional perspectives young designers can bring.

Follow the link in our bio to read Design Journeys of the Next Generation.

16/07/2026