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key facts on the benefits of design >
More than eight out of ten design-led companies have introduced a new product or service in the last three years, compared to just 40 per cent of UK companies overall.

83% of companies in which design is integral have seen their market share increase, compared to the UK average of 46%.

Design is integral to 39% of rapidly growing companies but to only 7% of static ones.

80 per cent of design-led businesses have opened up new markets in the last three years. Only 42% of UK businesses overall have done so.

A business that increases its investment in design is more than twice as likely to see its turnover grow as a business that does not do so.

graphic design... do you need it? >
According to the research, companies using innovative graphic designers to enable them to stand out in the market are also growing faster than their competitors. A third of the UK's fastest growing companies see design as integral to their business, while only 11 per cent of businesses with shrinking turnover share this view.

The figures also show the positive impact of design across a wide range of business success indicators including sales, profits, quality, share price, market share and competitiveness.

Almost half of companies where design is integral have seen turnover, profits and competitiveness improve, compared with only ten per cent of companies overall. Forty per cent of design-led companies have seen market share increase and more than a third have improved productivity, while more than 70 per cent say design has improved the quality of products and services.

Design Council Chief Executive David Kester said: 'The message is clear - use design or risk failure. In an increasingly demanding global business environment, UK businesses cannot compete on cost so they need to differentiate themselves by using design.'