Spanning work for global companies and government departments, to start-up challenger brands and charities, the winners prove the value of design in creating positive change.
Says DBA Chief Executive, Deborah Dawton: “The DBA Design Effectiveness Awards bring to life design’s ability to deliver competitive advantage for businesses, setting them apart in increasingly complex and crowded markets. And often, when designers are allowed to bring to the table their expertise and knowledge of the changes they see coming in society, such as the drive for a more sustainable world, their solutions for businesses stand to deliver an even better outcome, a better tomorrow for us all.”
24 client and agency partnerships were recognised with Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and the coveted Grand Prix Award went to a rebrand of Australian cordials business Billson’s, by Cowan, which resulted in growth from a base of $160,000 to a $7.6million business within 2.5 years.
Reinstated to its heyday, Billson’s staff numbers grew from two to 28, and the business is an integral part of the community once again, positively impacting on the local economy and employment. Find out more about Gold and Grand Prix winner, Billson’s rebrand.
Barnardo’s with Leap (Bronze): Helping young care leavers develop skills and confidence to live independently, LifeLabs’ online portal had 1,200 unique users in six months and was such a success, IKEA extended its support enabling national roll-out of the pilot project. Find out more about LifeLabs.
GlaxoSmithKline with DCA Design International (Bronze): Flipping open with a finger, palm or table edge, Voltaren’s new, easy-open cap is a revelation for those with hand pain and dexterity issues. 93% of test consumers agreed the bespoke cap is more intuitive and easier to open first time and sales grew 5.76% in Germany, 35% ahead of the market. Find out more about Voltaren’s easy-open cap.
Little Bellies with B&B studio (Gold): Value sales soared 262% within 3-years of the baby food business’ rebrand, which enabled it to extend its range from eight to 26 products and expand into North America, where it can be found in 6,000 stores. Find out more about Little Bellies’ rebrand.
Ministry of Justice with Design102 (Silver): Consisting of 20 short videos, social media assets and podcast adverts, the #ItStillMatters Campaign resonated with victims of sexual violence and abuse, encouraging them to seek help. It drove 50% of traffic to the campaign website, with 21% of site users clicking through to specialist support services. Find out more about the #ItStillMatters campaign.
Oxford Brewery with WPA Pinfold (Gold): Increasing sales 300% against pre-COVID levels, a transformational repositioning and striking new brand image helped save the brewery following the worst period for hospitality in living memory. The micro-brewer was able to move to the high-end of the market, raise prices, grow margins and secure its future survival. Find out more about Oxford Brewery’s rebrand.
Browse all of the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners and take a look at their winning case studies here.
Established in 1989, the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards recognise and celebrate the compelling influence of design on the success of a project or business. Crucially, the awards are evidence-based, with the impact of the design measured and verified.
The Awards are entered jointly by client and designer and winning projects have been rigorously judged by business leaders from organisations such as Aviva, Coca-Cola Company, Costa Coffee, Electrolux, Financial Times, Google, Huawei, Lloyds Banking Group, PwC, Reckitt, Sodexo, and Virgin Atlantic in three rounds of judging.
The Grand Prix award was selected by a special judging panel which included James Bruce, CEO, Buro Happold, Laura Citron, CEO, London & Partners, Tim Reeve, Deputy Director and COO, V&A, Helen Brocklebank, CEO, Walpole.
Says Chair of the Judges, Clive Grinyer: “It has been inspirational to see the continuing stories of design effectiveness in this year’s submissions. Companies from the largest to the smallest have used design as a strategic tool to strengthen their relationships with customers, engage them in the values of their brand and communicated their purpose to customers. In an increasingly competitive market in such challenging times, they have invested and reaped the measurable rewards of design. The DBA Design Effectiveness Award winners, across Bronze, Silver and Gold, can be assured they have achieved the highest level of evidence that their use of design has bought them success.”
| Award | Project | Agency | Client |
| Silver | Horlicks | Brandon | Aimia Foods |
| Gold | Billson’s Rebrand | Cowan | Billson’s |
| Grand Prix | Billson’s Rebrand | Cowan | Billson’s |
| Gold | Little Bellies Rebrand | B&B studio | Little Bellies |
| Bronze | Step into the NHS Rebranding and Website Redesign | Brand Ethos | Health Education England |
| Bronze | LifeLabs | Leap | Barnardo’s |
| Silver | Leitz IQ Autofeed Office Shredder Range | Oxford Product Design | ACCO |
| Silver | Midol Brand Restage | goDutch | Bayer Healthcare |
| Silver | Fred. Olsen Website Optimisation | ELSE | Fred. Olsen |
| Bronze | Raw Halo Rebrand | B&B studio | Raw Halo |
| Bronze | KP Nuts Rebrand | This Way Up | KP Snacks |
| Silver | M&Ms 3D Confectionery Advent Calendar | Path | Mars Wrigley |
| Silver | DRTY Drinks Branding | Pearlfisher | DRTY Drinks |
| Silver | McCain Street Fries | BrandOpus | McCain |
| Bronze | UpCircle Branding | Studio More Design | UpCircle by Optiat |
| Bronze | SO Organic | BrandMe | Sainsbury’s |
| Bronze | Meridian Rebrand | Bulletproof | 3V Natural Foods |
| Bronze | Tidal Rum | Lewis Moberly | Shorts Boy Distillery |
| Silver | Cinnamon Toast Crunch | Pearlfisher | General Mills |
| Silver | Westward Whiskey | Pearlfisher | Westward Whiskey |
| Silver | Old Gold Rebrand | Bulletproof | Mondelēz International – Australia |
| Bronze | My/Mochi Redesign | Bulletproof | My/Mochi Ice Cream Co. |
| Bronze | Voltaren Flip-top Easy Open Cap | DCA Design International | GlaxoSmithKline |
| Silver | #ItStillMatters Campaign | Design102 | Ministry of Justice |
| Gold | Oxford Brewery Rebrand | WPA Pinfold | Oxford Brewery |
More information on the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards and how to enter can be found here.
The deadline for entries into the 2023 awards is 4 November 2022.
Became a $7.6million business within two and a half years, impacting on local area’s economy and employment.
Staff numbers leapt from two to 28.
Fastest growing kids’ cereal in the US in 2020, outperforming competitors.
Achieved largest market share in six years.
Secured pre-launch listings with Ocado and Whole Foods before product was even ready to sample.
Drove unplanned international growth in seven other markets.
Session durations leapt 44% and bounce rate decreased 23%.
Online bookings rose substantially in just nine months.
Changed consumer perceptions.
Attracted 46% more younger buyers than target.
Inspired action, informing and empowering victims of sexual violence and their family and friends.
Overcame barriers which can prevent survivors reaching out and encouraged them to take first steps in seeking support.
Revived KP Nuts’ fortunes, re-igniting growth.
Gained 37.9% market value in two years.
Enabled a premium price.
Reduced manufacturing costs by 20%.
1,200 unique users of portal in first six-months.
IKEA extended its support by an extra £70,000, enabling national roll-out.
Became a dominating force in Australian home market.
Extended internationally, securing listings in 6,000 North American stores.
Appealed to a younger audience by an additional 23%.
4.8% market penetration, exceeding 3% target.
Website sales to consumers soared 84%.
Nine new jobs were created at factory in North Wales.
Increased sales velocity 18.7%.
Opened up innovation opportunities.
Created a completely new advent experience.
Changed the way the business employs design as a strategic innovation tool.
Connected with Gen Z consumers.
Attracted 300,000 followers on TikTok in less than six months.
Average product price increased 8.5%.
Reliance on price promotions reduced.
Increased sales 300% against pre-COVID levels.
Effectively saved Oxford Brewery following the worst period for hospitality in living memory.
Saving two tonnes of plastic and four tonnes of cardboard waste annually.
Enabled the business to meet its ethical aspirations and improve margins.
Reversed SO Organic’s -1.5% market share decline.
Delivered +2% value share growth in a market worth over £1billion.
Captured the attention of students and teachers.
Transformed engagement with the careers website, with resource downloads up 65% year-on-year.
Smashed year one and two sales objectives by 25%.
Exceeded £150,000 inward investment objective, securing over £230,000 on funding platform Seedrs within two years.
Average spend–per purchase leapt 77%.
Saving waste from landfill and inspiring others on the circular economy.
93% of test consumers agree the new flip-top design is easier to open first time.
Improved user experience has helped safe-guard market-leading position.
From a sales decline of -23% to 280% growth within a year.
Beyond the US, now also sold in the Nordics, France, Germany and the UK.
Register to attend the winners announcement for free and join us live and online at 12pm BST on Thursday 30 June 2022 to celebrate the power of design.
New Designers is the longest running and leading graduate design showcase in the country. This year is the 37th anniversary and will bring together 200 flagship university design courses who will be showcasing 3,000 of the country’s finest design students.
The show runs at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London between 29 June – 9 July 2022.
The event mission is to champion and support the UK grassroots design sector, and connect future leading lights with the design industry for creative exchange and professional collaboration.
It’s a prime opportunity to recruit the freshest talent in the UK and the prestigious ND Awards is the chance to witness the very best graduates being rewarded by industry experts.
ND Awards are being supported in week 2 of the event by companies such as Habitat, Made.com, LMC Design and John Lewis and are being introduced by Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A Museum.
DBA members are invited to the ND Awards evening on Wednesday 6 July 2022 and can book a complimentary ticket to attend the New Designers event (entry from 6pm with the awards evening commencing at 7pm).
Secure your complimentary ticket here*
* You may need to login into the DBA Members’ Area to access the booking link.
Our Members’ Forum takes place on the first Monday of each month, at 4 – 5pm. If you would like to attend, get in touch here.
Our next members forum will be taking place on Monday 4 July.