There have been many arguments put forward about the role of design consulting firms in the UK today. Some people suggest that design consultancy as a concept, is something that can just be disregarded, yet others stress that investors ignore it at their own peril. The economic landscape is changing so fast and most businesses strive for efficiency to maximise value and limit expenditure. The advancement of technology has also created a very competitive culture in terms of invention and innovation. In order for businesses in the UK to be able to compete on this landscape, one thing is clear; they will need to improve on product design to meet consumer’s needs.

The importance of consultancy, whether in design or any other business strategy, is very important. In the current market trends, any business that wants to succeed must adopt design thinking and either build or buy internal design competencies. It is a great time for design consultants. With the increased customer awareness and demand for value for money, the importance of properly designed products and services can never be stressed enough.

Most start ups with good ideas need to have a good product or service design to capture the market. Through pioneering specialists, design consultants can help them come up with good design concepts and in turn create a lasting impact with their initial venture. Established brands who constantly innovate and invent employ the services of design consulting firms to help them meet their strategic goals. Sometimes the business management may not look at design concepts in a clear and impartial way leading to the introduction of poorly designed or inferior products into the market. Internal design teams are usually faced with numerous challenges such as interference by senior management, inability to retain talent, maintaining a creative culture and execution of design strategies. Design consulting firms offer unbiased advice since they are not affiliated to the management of the organization and are averse to the internal politics.

When it comes to construction, design consulting firms are very important because they come up with designs that are imaginative, simple and connect on a human scale with building owners and even users. They maximise site specific modern construction methods that have cutting edge innovation. As the real estate sector experiences growth, most investors turn to design consultants to come up with the most ideal building designs.

There is a new business concept that some design companies have introduced in the UK. They enter into partnerships with established clients and in this way their partners minimise the initial cost of capital and risks associated with creating new ideas. This has seen the role of design consultants expand from conventional outsourcing to new forms of partnerships.

Design consultancy is being woven into the very fabric of today’s business needs. As most businesses in the UK look to innovate and meet market demands, design consulting firms play a pivotal role in ensuring that they come up with great products and services that meet market requirements. The future looks bright for these firms as business competition increases due to globalisation and firms must be creative to keep up or otherwise close shop.