To maintain our global standing as a destination for world class design services, we must guarantee the quality of the design talent coming into our sector. Launched on 18 June 2026, ‘A Shared Vision for Industry-Led Design Education within Higher Education‘, produced in partnership with our friends at CHEAD suggests a systemic approach for leaders to reimagine succession into the industry.
The report calls on Higher Education, Government and Industry to work together to secure future generations of design graduates, ensuring emerging practices reflect the aspirations and realities of those who will enter, inherit and reshape the profession.
This is just the beginning, but today we urge you to read the report and consider what it is that you will do to support this cause.
Professor David McGravie, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences) at the University of Chester, says: “As Chair of CHEAD, I am delighted to endorse this important mission outlining the principles of industry-led design in Higher Education.
Industry-ready design graduates will represent the future creative talent of the design sector, offering new, diverse perspectives, innovative thinking, and the energy to drive the industry.
They will possess up-to-date technical skills in content creation, AI, and sustainable practices, informed by the vital real-world expertise they will have gained throughout their programme of study.”
“If industry and education are working well together, graduates enter their careers ready and equipped to contribute. We want this to be true for every design graduate, and we look forward to working with CHEAD to make this a reality nation-wide.”
Deborah Dawton, CEO, DBA
Designers are famously reluctant to treat their own businesses as brands in the way they might for clients. I’ve always liked D8’s deadpan declaration: “without a slogan since 1999” – and there’s a truth in the humour. It’s hard to find the words to stand by.
I examined agency messaging in detail as co-author of the Fully Saturated report. We analysed the positioning and language of hundreds of studios, determined to unearth some gems in a very repetitive verbal landscape. We were looking for three things: the angle, the relevance, and the memorability.
The Chase’s storytelling has survived for 40 years, landing the idea that every element must have a reason for being. Asked how he carves elephants, an accomplished craftsman answers: “I just cut away the wood that doesn’t look like an elephant.” It’s a thought-provoking and re-tellable story that speaks of instinct and strategic design. We were also struck by Analogue Creative’s “seriously playful” positioning, which is both promise and vibe, and Among Equals’ foundational mantra “Start with no-one cares.”
These are hard-working words, but in this sector there’s an abundance of language that does little more than explain the role of design: standing out, bringing your brand to life, making a difference, connecting with audiences. Let’s revisit Among Equals’ truth bomb; it’s relevant in the design sector just as any other. If no one cares about your agency, what are you doing to change that?
We know there’s an in-built reluctance to go all-in on creative messaging, which likely derives from a reliance on portfolios to tell the story and the absence of in-house skills. Most agencies are small businesses, and few small businesses have in-house writers. But we also know that marketing is not optional, so you need to find your voice. Daniel Poll, founder of Noramble told us, “In the past, agencies have used their work quality and process to gain the advantage. Having a stand or a viewpoint within your agency messaging is what can really help you relate to clients looking, because great work is everywhere these days.”
This is a people-driven sector, but there are times when your words need to stand alone and do the hard lifting, even if it’s not a full-blown multi-channel marketing campaign (though maybe it could be, or should be? Just a thought).
So how do you choose the words that sit on your home page, on your LinkedIn page, and what do you opt for in that hateful moment when you’re asked for a company bio? When forced to articulate something versus nothing, the next challenge is balancing the pressure to be sensible and follow the rules, while also secretly wanting to be altogether more rebellious.
When the pipeline is running dry and you need to make briefs happen, following the rules feels like the safest option. Every business wants an easy win – even though it’s likely not what studios advise for clients; they call for bravery and big ideas.
First SEO brought rules, striking the first blow to the idiosyncrasy of words, as the whole point is to chime with the most commonly used terms. Since then, with LinkedIn as the dominant B2B platform, it’s sensible to appease the algorithm, which rewards clear niching and narrow topic ownership. These are valid rules and well worth knowing, but we need to be aware that online environments are shaping language and reducing our vocabulary. And this could be opening up an opportunity for those that choose not to play by them.
Agencies should know the rules and stick to them to a certain degree, but this piece is all about defining that degree. Just as with design practice, great words don’t simply come from rules, they come from breaking the mould and choosing when to deviate.
There’s now a new holy grail in marketing: visibility in AI answers. The interesting thing here is that AI is a much more sophisticated form of search. It can tell the generic from the genuine and noteworthy. Businesses with something unique and valuable to say are rewarded for it. This means there’s a very good reason to build a brand, not just a sales machine. And this should be music to the ears of creatives. If any sector is permitted to wear its weird on its sleeve – surely this is it?
But there are other constraining factors too. On the face of it, no one celebrates corporate language; words like ‘elevate’ are frequently mocked but at the same time accepted as a necessary evil. The biggest influence on agency language right now comes from the verbal culture of the boardroom. We see promises of change, transformation, growth, and scale. And while there’s huge benefit in speaking to your audiences’ ambitions and pain points, and using their language, if this shows up as simplistic unsubstantiated tropes, it starts to work against you as clients can’t tell one agency from another.
Let’s think smarter: make commercial promises grounded in the effectiveness of your design, but bring your hard-earned nuanced insight to the table (or deck, or screen). Surprise clients with your incisiveness. Own a more interesting angle on how you will uniquely deliver widely promised commercial outcomes, for example see how EatBigFish brings deep insight into what it means to be a challenger brand. Lean into attributes that go beyond a textbook explanation of design, because the clients you really want already understands design; they just need to know why to work with you.
Our Fully Saturated report champions agencies that think like brands. That means ownable ideas and distinctive language that bring greater relevance, believability and, crucially – premiumisation. This, we know, is the payback of thinking like a brand: to rise above the competition and command higher fees. A brand works hard to avoid being seen as a replaceable commodity service.
How can natural-born rebels navigate the rules of language?
I think about messaging in strata. Know the rules, follow the best practices, hit the key words, but then layer on something more authentic and imaginative. The really good stuff comes from defining your true values, knowing what you deliver that goes beyond the expectation of the sector, and articulating a point of view.
I spend all day every day working on B2B positioning and language and have come to the conclusion that the most powerful stories are infused with genuine personal experience and personality, not from following rules or playing the part. After all, design clients are people too and in the midst of a day of pitches, they want something that will wake them up.
In the report, we show how I Am Female studio makes a virtue out of being queer-led and brings a punchy attitude with it, “CREATIVITY. INNOVATION. BLAH BLAH BLAH… We’re the queer-led brand communications agency for brands tired of the same-old sh*t.” It stands out and increases relevance for a particular kind of client. And we showcase Land of Plenty’s unmissable commitment to ethics. This agency comes with a strong point of view: “People love the products and experiences you create. They just want to know you’re not delivering them at a cost to the planet. It’s about small steps towards being better, not huge claims of being perfect.”
The good news is that if your agency is a good one, those deeply-held provocations or quirks are already there, albeit hidden in a bid to show up as professional. Perhaps it’s time to let your inner rebel have some airtime too. I’m certain you won’t regret it.
Image credits: Felicity Tai | Becolourful | Bailey Mahon
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Client service helps generate serious returns — account growth of 30% to 346% year-on-year, EBITDA uplifts of 250%, campaign ROI of 20:1. These are not hypotheticals. They are outcomes documented across the categories in the recent Client Impact Awards, all directly attributable to the quality of strategic relationship management.
The role has been shifting for years: from bridge or buffer role focused on stability, to growth architect focused on commercial value.
Yet the role has been systematically undervalued, under-defined, and — most damagingly — badly measured. That has to change.
Agencies commonly use utilisation as the primary metric for performance. In a classic time-based model, it’s a reasonable rule of thumb. For studio resource management, it’s essential — without it, designers end up triple-booked and burnt out.
But utilisation is a blunt instrument for relationship management. When we treat client service time as a commodity to be “filled,” we incentivise activity over impact. A client service person measured on 50% utilisation looks expendable on a spreadsheet. A Client Partner measured on account growth and relationship advocacy becomes retention-critical.
Changing the measurement model for client relationships is the first step to building a partnership strategy aligned to both agency and client commercial priorities.
Now is the moment to retire the term “Client Service” officially. These professionals are not in service. They are strategic allies. And that distinction matters enormously — because a strategic ally has a fundamentally different focus, different behaviours, and different conversations with clients.
The primary job of any client-facing team is to nurture trust. Trust is the foundation of every sustainable commercial outcome. Trust creates access. Access enables influence. Influence drives growth.
Everyone contributes — strategists, writers, designers, producers, project managers. But the person who holds the lead on this is the ‘Client Partner’. And that title is neither cosmetic nor interchangeable with account handling.
There are specific skills and behaviours that distinguish a Client Partner from its service-based foundations and other client-facing roles. Client Partners are relationship strategists; skills such as business and commercial take on a new meaning. Their internal team role is to have a centralising, multiplier effect.
This shift is being driven by clients. Marketing teams are smaller, more generalist, and faster-moving than they were a decade ago. Senior marketers rotate through organisations more frequently. The institutional memory that once made long-term agency relationships easier to sustain is eroding.
As a result, successful client partners must now function as outsourced brand custodians — people with deep, visceral knowledge of the client’s world, their strategic priorities, their internal politics, their commercial pressures. That knowledge takes time to accumulate, and a strategy for how to deploy it across the whole agency team — so the client gets a consistent, authoritative experience whoever they speak to.
Here is the critical paradox: clients know they want partnership. Almost none of them measure whether they’re getting it.
There is no KPI for relationship quality in most marketing plans. No budget line for relationship investment. No annual review of whether the agency partnership is delivering at its full potential — separate from whether campaigns are hitting targets.
This absence reinforces the myth that relationship management is soft and fluffy. But the data says otherwise. When the Six Client Needs are met, the agency experiences measurable commercial value in 75% of cases. The Client Impact Awards confirmed this again and again: the outcomes were experienced differently by client and agency, but the value was matched on both sides.
I’m running a two-part DBA Masterclass on 25 and 30 June for those in client-facing roles. We’ll be examining the “value gap” – the persistent, commercially significant space between what clients say they want from their agency and what they typically receive and I’ll introduce a practical framework for relationship measurement you can take directly to your clients — turning “good chemistry” into a defined, trackable commercial focus. (Here’s how to join us)
It’s time to recognise client partnership today — the role of Client Partner as relationship strategist for growth has begun.
Joanna works with creative agencies and in-house creative operations teams to translate strategy into systems, behaviours, and results. As a client service and change specialist with 30+ years’ experience inside agencies, she’s skilled at ‘making it happen’.
Joanna is an accredited DBA Expert.
Check out our upcoming events and training and if you’re looking for a good book, we’ve got a great list of recommended reads.
The next DBA Member Forum is on Monday 6 July, 1.30-2.30 BST.
The EU AI Act (“Act”) is a legal framework under EU law aimed at the development, placement and/or use of AI within the EU marketplace.
In this guide you can find details on:
UK businesses that provide or distribute AI systems on the EU market (known as “providers” and “distributors” respectively) or that place AI systems on the UK market where the output of those systems is used in the EU (known as “deployers”) are caught under the Act. Many UK businesses could fall within the category of being a “deployer”. For example, a design agency that uses AI to produce a brand marketing strategy or marketing materials which ultimately may be distributed to individuals in the EU.
It is a set of binding rules for AI systems within the EU, having regard to a defined risk-based approach. Certain unacceptable AI practices are prohibited under the Act, whereas specific requirements are laid down for high-risk AI systems and obligations are imposed. In addition, transparency obligations apply for certain AI systems.
There is a general requirement of “AI literacy” in that providers or deployers of AI systems must take measures to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf.
Prohibited AI practices include matters such as the placing or use of an AI system that deploys subliminal techniques beyond a person’s consciousness or purposefully manipulative or deceptive techniques that cause people harm or exploit people’s vulnerabilities in ways reasonably likely to cause significant harm.
Article 50 of the Act places transparency obligations on providers and deployers of certain AI systems, for instance:
UK businesses should consider whether any of their activities fall within the Act. In essence, if any of their products or deliverables end up in the EU where they have involved or involve AI systems, then they are likely to be caught under the Act.
UK businesses should carry out an internal audit to understand how and where AI is used in their business and whether as a “provider”, “distributor” or a “deployer” in respect of the EU market. As part of this, we recommend a review of “supply-side” and “client-facing” contract terms is carried out. This should reveal what AI any suppliers are using and whether any protections need to be put in place. Likewise, consideration should be given as to whether any restrictions or parameters need to be inserted in client contracts concerning use of the products and deliverables.
If the UK business does fall under the scope of the Act then they should consider if the AI literacy requirement is being met, whether any of the transparency obligations apply, whether any of the AI systems sit within the higher risk categories under the Act, and what steps, therefore, need to be taken to ensure compliance.
Breach of the rules on the prohibited AI practices, and breach of the obligations regarding high-risk and limited risk AI systems, could mean a significant fine. More info can be found at the European Commission’s AI Act Service Desk.
The Act came into force on 1 August 2024, with phased implementation now through to 2027/8 under the EU’s proposed “Digital Omnibus on AI Regulation”.
The provisions concerning AI literacy and prohibited AI practices came into force on 2 February 2025.
The provisions concerning general purpose AI (“GPAI”) models, governance and penalties (without the fines for providers of GPAIs) came into effect on 2 August 2025.
The transparency obligations for providers and deployers of certain AI systems under the Act are due to come into force on 2 August 2026.
As above, the EU’s proposed “Digital Omnibus on AI Regulation” has pushed back certain of the other implementation deadlines through 2027/8.
HK Law is the DBA’s legal partner, providing a free legal support helpline for members.
This publication is a general summary of the law.
For any specific legal advice, you should take legal advice based on your circumstances. Please feel free to contact a member of HK Law’s Corporate & Commercial Team for more tailored advice.
DBA members can benefit from a free half hour’s legal advice, each time you call about a different issue.
Many creative firms operate with the same intent – “to have great people doing great work for great clients”. This is very commendable but I always think that the phrase needs a couple of words added at the end – “delivered profitably”.
Profit can often be an afterthought but ultimately it is the fuel for your business. Being profitable should translate into more cash in the bank and gives you the freedom to make longer term decisions about how you want to run your business, rather than lurching from problem to problem and having to make knee-jerk reactions.
So how should you go about setting your design business up to be profitable? And what key metrics should you be looking at? I was asked to pick my favourite and settled on the staff cost to fee income ratio.
People costs are normally the largest cost within an agency or studio. Getting the alignment correct between your fee income and your people costs is the single biggest driver of achieving profit within your business. If you can get it right, it solves a lot of other issues in your business. Get it wrong and it doesn’t matter how hard you work, you’ll never make any money. So what is it and how do you calculate it?
It’s important to define each of the financial terms so that you can apply it consistently within your own business. Different people have different ways of calculating some of these figures – the important thing is to pick a method that you are comfortable with and then stick with it.
The first thing is to establish the difference between gross billings and fee income.
The reason for using your fee income rather than gross billings is that this is the actual revenue that belongs to your agency and sits against your controllable costs. To use an extreme example, if you have invoiced a client for £500k but that includes £400k media buy, then your fee income is only £100k. Likewise if you have a £100k design project for a client being delivered entirely by your internal team, then this also has fee income of £100k.
Now that the fee income has been established, it should be compared to your total people costs, which I define as your internal staff costs plus freelancers plus a market rate salary for the founder (if they use a combination of salaries and dividends to pay themselves).
The historic agency model suggested a ratio of 60:20:20 i.e. for every £100 of fee income, £60 should go on people, £20 on overheads (your remaining costs) and that leaves £20 of profit. Or in other words a staff cost to fee income ratio of 60%.
If your staff cost to fee income ratio is significantly below that, it indicates either that you’re potentially running your team into the ground and at risk of burnout or that you have hit the sweet spot of being able to charge higher prices to your clients.
If your ratio runs significantly higher than that, you’ll likely find that everyone is busy but you’re not actually making any money. You’ll need to dig further into your finances to understand what is causing it – it might be pricing (a ratecard issue), it might be overservicing (a scoping/delivery issue), it might be that your recovery rates are too low (a scoping issue). The important thing is not to ignore it.
One of the main ways I’m seeing agencies manage their people costs more effectively has been to operate a leaner model with a smaller core internal team, supplemented by a roster of experienced freelancers. The bulk of agency revenue is project based and adopting this approach allows you to scale the team up and down as needed, without having to carry the additional cost in months where revenue is lower.
If you can keep your staff cost to fee income ratio consistently in the 60%-65% range then the profits should follow.
In Focus: Where agency margins are won – or lost in delivery: DBA Expert Manish Kapur
In Focus: The people story behind the numbers: DBA Expert Aliya Vigor-Robertson
The DBA In Focus Report is the most comprehensive analysis of industry fees, salaries, utilisation, income, recovery rates, benefits and trends in the UK design sector.
In addition to the PDF report, members who participate in the survey gain access to dynamic, searchable data tables across key metrics for over 50 job roles, segmented by agency size and region.
New Designers has been showcasing the work of emerging design talent for over 40 years. Founded in 1985, the event has become the UK’s leading exhibition for up-and-coming designers, providing a platform for thousands of graduates to showcase their work and connect with industry professionals.
Explore the work of over 2,500 talented designers, with all design disciplines presented side by side, from furniture to product design, illustration and more, to better represent the interdisciplinary nature of design today.
As the largest showcase of graduate designers in the country, ND offers an unrivalled opportunity for businesses to add such a high calibre of fresh designers to their talent pool. Find the next great addition to your team and streamline your recruiting process.
New Designers returns this July in a new, focused four‑day format.
From 1–4 July, final‑year designers from across the UK will present work publicly for the first time – all disciplines, four-days, one show.
For industry professionals, it’s a practical way to:
If you work in design, New Designers is a useful place to spend time.
Use code DBAND26 for 20% off a Day Pass (excludes late nights).
Book your ticket or if you are a DBA member you can secure a Free Trade Pass here.
Day Passes give you access to your chosen day of New Designers. Day Pass holders may also attend Talks and Workshops taking place during event hours (opening hours vary) at no additional cost.
You can also purchase a ticket for the New Designers Awards Ceremony and be the first to discover outstanding designs selected by the industry for their innovation plus return to the show on all public opening days to experience all the Show has to offer.
New Designers: Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 0QH.
Image Credits:
Sam Frost ©2025
New Designers
Check out our upcoming events – we’d love to see you at our Summer Party with the team at Podge. And if you’re looking for a good book, we’ve got a great list of recommended reads.
The next DBA Member Forum is on Monday 1 June, 1.30-2.30 BST.
In today’s market, creative and design-led businesses face an increasingly complex challenge: how to stand out, stay relevant, and grow in an environment where attention is scarce and competition is relentless.
Winning new clients isn’t just about having the best ideas, the most innovative designs, or the strongest portfolio. It’s about visibility, credibility, and influence which requires a truly integrated PR and Digital strategy.
Yet, too many businesses still treat PR as a single-channel effort, focusing solely on design trade coverage, relying on sporadic press outreach, or posting intermittently on social media. In 2026, this fragmented approach no longer works.
The brands and agencies thriving today are those orchestrating their communications holistically — using the PESO Model® to connect every touchpoint into a single, cohesive engine for growth.
The PESO Model® (Paid, Earned, Shared, Owned), created by Gini Dietrich is an operating system for building influence, driving business outcomes, and positioning your brand where it matters most.
PESO Model® Diagram:
Paid Media: Precision-led amplification
Targeted campaigns that put your business in front of decision-makers, using tools like paid social, sponsored thought leadership, and strategic partnerships.
Earned Media: Authority through validation
High-value coverage in business, sector-specific, vertical trade, and design publications that positions you as an expert and a leader.
Shared Media: Influence at scale
Social platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube where clients, collaborators, and talent actively engage with your brand and share your story.
Owned Media: Your narrative, your platform
Thought-leadership content, case studies, insights, and SEO & AEO-optimised assets on your website and channels that convert awareness into trust — and trust into leads.
The power of the PESO Model® comes from integration. When each channel works together, every message is amplified, every interaction is reinforced, and every potential client experiences a consistent, credible brand story.
For creative and design businesses, reputation is everything, but reputation alone doesn’t win pitches. You need visibility with the right audiences, influence in the right spaces, and authority in the conversations that shape your sector.
An integrated PR and communications strategy delivers exactly that:
● It builds credibility in business and trade press alike, where clients and investors are looking for proof points.
● It drives discovery by optimising content for search and amplifying reach through targeted campaigns.
● It strengthens influence by leveraging social platforms where decision-makers engage and talent pipelines are built.
● It compounds impact — every article, post, and campaign reinforces the next, accelerating growth.
In short, integration transforms PR and Digital channels from a cost centre into a growth engine.
Too many creative businesses still silo their communications, prioritising design trade coverage, neglecting digital channels, or treating PR as a reactive function.
The risks are significant:
● Missed opportunities with decision-makers outside your immediate network.
● Limited visibility in the broader business, investor, and talent ecosystem.
● Weaker brand positioning compared to competitors using integrated strategies.
In today’s market, the brands winning the biggest briefs aren’t just doing great work, they’re seen, heard, and trusted across every platform that matters.
In today’s ever-evolving digital landscape, growth rarely comes from a single channel. Prospective clients move between search, social, recommendations, industry voices, paid activity and owned content, making it harder than ever to know where your effort and investment should sit.
Every piece of content you post and every piece others post about you is shaping how you show up across AI tools and defining your brand’s narrative. Knowing where you need to show up has never mattered more.
Auditing your channels is one of the most effective ways to understand what’s performing, what isn’t, and where the strongest opportunities sit, helping you direct resources where they will earn the greatest return.
To ensure your channels and content stay relevant, it’s critical to measure and track your digital impact. Implementing a test-and-learn approach allows you to constantly refine and improve your “digital estate”.
In a creative economy where design drives growth but visibility drives opportunity, integrated PR and Digital are no longer optional. The PESO Model® isn’t about doing more for the sake of it, it’s about doing the right things, in the right places, at the right time.
For creative businesses looking to win bigger clients, attract top talent, and secure their market position, the message is clear: connect your communications ecosystem or risk being overlooked.