Design 2020 is a research project undertaken by the Universities of Salford and Lancaster in partnership with British Design Innovation. The overall aim of Design 2020 is to explore potential futures for the UK Design industry. It is part of a foresight initiative investigating future scenarios which reveal the threats and opportunities facing the UK design industry over the next 15 years. It is funded by the AHRC/EPSRC’s Designing for the 21st Century initiative.

The overall aim of Design 2020 is to explore potential futures for the UK Design industry. Its objectives are: (i) To research the shape of, and challenges/opportunities facing, the UK design industry over the next decade, and building on this; and (ii) Inform policy frameworks for the sector up to 2020. It intends to develop an understanding of the forces for change and guide the next generation policy, enabling the UK design industry to remain relevant and a significant force within a global design context.

The project focuses on researching the challenges facing the UK design industry over the next decade, and has consulted agencies, clients, trade associations and journalists, HEIs, economists and policy-makers via a range of interviews and surveys to provide recommendations for the industry.

The creative industries, and particularly the 71,000 employees in the commercial design have not received the attention they warrant, despite the fact that creative capabilities lie at the core of the UK’s ability to compete.