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You can benefit from a free legal health check provided by Humphries Kirk as part of your membership. 

“For a small business like ours, the health check has been really valuable in giving us a better understanding about legal best practice. I have been amazed with the service Humphries Kirk has provided us with. It’s rare to find genuinely excellent quality customer service these days but the guys at HK definitely seem to have gone above and beyond. I am delighted to have joined the DBA and to have met with HK. My experience of working with them so far has been worth our annual DBA membership on it’s own,” says James Hill, Director of Fudge Animation.

Image credits: © Roman Motizov | © Paisit Teeraphatsakool Dreamstime.com

Design Effectiveness Awards 2019


It’s not about design. It’s about the difference design makes. Eight Golds, 33 Silvers and 18 Bronze awards won jointly by designer...

14/06/2019


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Member stories: the transformative power of design


Design has the power to transform businesses, public services and people’s lives, but day-to-day, DBA members are facing design sceptics; those who may not understand the breadth of challenges design can solve. Here is a selection of great examples of DBA members in action; converting sceptics, building the importance and integrity of design in the minds of their clients and throughout the businesses they work in.

08/02/2017


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Rod Petrie

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Seize the opportunity, understand the context, change the context and create the impossible. Management and clients alike hate uncertainty and unpredictability, a space we all find ourselves in today but creativity in itself is surely an unpredictable process so the creative mindset should have an advantage with the events that now affect us all.

08/02/2017


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Brexit: legal implications for the design industry


Following the Prime Minister's speech the DBA has already considered some of the implications of the likely change in status of the European Court of Justice and OHIM and the likely impacts on the design industry.

24/01/2017


Brexit, News


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dreamstime_s_13195154

Sharpening the focus on design


Renowned author Raymond Turner examines design’s ability to define and manifest corporate strategy.

23/01/2017


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Raymond Turner

Converting the sceptics


Getting design understood and valued at board level is the holy grail – but that means talking in business terms
 and converting the sceptics, argues Raymond Turner.

23/01/2017


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Deborah Dawton, CEO, Design Business Association

DBA CEO on the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement


DBA CEO Deborah Dawton outlines why the review of the tax credit environment for R&D outlined in the Autumn Statement is important to the design industry.

07/12/2016


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Expert advice – all wrapped up


With Christmas fast approaching, our Wise Men and Women of the DBA Experts Register share some top tips for your business in 2017.

07/12/2016


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Design highlights


A Scottish icon, a product to challenge Apple’s dominance and a piece of design with real emotional punch feature amongst our Board of Directors' most admired designs of the year.

07/12/2016


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Design effectiveness at the heart of business


The DBA’s Head of Programmes, Natasha Papa caught up with this year’s Design Effectiveness Awards judges to discuss their perspectives on design’s role at the heart of business.

07/12/2016


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Case: Challs International and their Buster brand

Gold winner: Buster Plughole Care Client: Challs International Design: Elmwood

With limited budgets, Challs International’s main marketing investment is in design. Its ongoing design investment and long-term collaboration with agency Elmwood has elevated its Buster brand from obscurity to a serious category contender in the last decade, and Challs are convinced on the value design brings to their business.

“When you don’t have huge above the line budgets, you need to invest wisely. The focus of our investment for 12 years has been using the power of design to cut through at the point of sale, and that has been pivotal in making Buster the No.1 brand”, says Challs International’s MD, Graham Burchell.

Buster emerged from obscurity on to the supermarket shelves following a brand overhaul by Elmwood in 2004. Since then the company has continued to invest in design. A brand evolution in 2009 helped elevate the brand to No.2 in the sector, but by 2013 the continuing global recession and competition from well-financed mega brands in the UK plughole category, meant the market wasn’t exactly free flowing. With specific objectives to create a platform for sustained growth, to expand internationally and ultimately to claim the top slot in the UK market, Challs chose to invest in design once more, and Buster has made it to the top of the market with packaging that cuts through at the point of purchase.

The objectives:business
  • Develop a strategy and platform for growth, both in the UK and abroad which would double UK value sales by 2017 (5 year plan)
  • To strengthen the impact of the Buster brand on shelf, in order to become the No.1 brand in the market sector by January 2015

In a sector where consumers are normally faced with a wall of power graphics, Buster challenged category norms and contrasted with simple, calm design and a change of tone, becoming the No.1 plughole brand in the UK market months ahead of target in May 2014, and reducing its heavy reliance on sales of one of its products.

The results:

Buster is well and truly on track to achieve its 5 year plan of doubling value sales way ahead of schedule.

  • In 2014 sales were up over 50% in a market growing by 13.9%
  • Sales grew from £6.65million pre-redesign in 2012 to £11.47million in 2014
  • Listings have been secured in 5 new international markets
  • The workforce has increased by 20% off the back of this success

Elmwood and Challs International’s GOLD winning DBA Design Effectiveness Awards submission can be viewed in full here.

Image credits: © Rawpixelimages Dreamstime.com | © Ivaylo Sarayski Dreamstime.com

Design Effectiveness Awards 2019


It’s not about design. It’s about the difference design makes. Eight Golds, 33 Silvers and 18 Bronze awards won jointly by designer...

14/06/2019


News


Login >>
bec

Member stories: the transformative power of design


Design has the power to transform businesses, public services and people’s lives, but day-to-day, DBA members are facing design sceptics; those who may not understand the breadth of challenges design can solve. Here is a selection of great examples of DBA members in action; converting sceptics, building the importance and integrity of design in the minds of their clients and throughout the businesses they work in.

08/02/2017


Current


Login >>
Rod Petrie

Crazy times call for courageous creative thinkers


Seize the opportunity, understand the context, change the context and create the impossible. Management and clients alike hate uncertainty and unpredictability, a space we all find ourselves in today but creativity in itself is surely an unpredictable process so the creative mindset should have an advantage with the events that now affect us all.

08/02/2017


News, Talks


Login >>
new signpost

Brexit: legal implications for the design industry


Following the Prime Minister's speech the DBA has already considered some of the implications of the likely change in status of the European Court of Justice and OHIM and the likely impacts on the design industry.

24/01/2017


Brexit, News


Login >>
dreamstime_s_13195154

Sharpening the focus on design


Renowned author Raymond Turner examines design’s ability to define and manifest corporate strategy.

23/01/2017


News


Login >>
Raymond Turner

Converting the sceptics


Getting design understood and valued at board level is the holy grail – but that means talking in business terms
 and converting the sceptics, argues Raymond Turner.

23/01/2017


News


Login >>
Deborah Dawton, CEO, Design Business Association

DBA CEO on the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement


DBA CEO Deborah Dawton outlines why the review of the tax credit environment for R&D outlined in the Autumn Statement is important to the design industry.

07/12/2016


News


Login >>
coloured ribbons

Expert advice – all wrapped up


With Christmas fast approaching, our Wise Men and Women of the DBA Experts Register share some top tips for your business in 2017.

07/12/2016


News


Login >>
jw1180-somme-1916-poppy-lapel-pin-shell

Design highlights


A Scottish icon, a product to challenge Apple’s dominance and a piece of design with real emotional punch feature amongst our Board of Directors' most admired designs of the year.

07/12/2016


News


Login >>
jigsaw

Design effectiveness at the heart of business


The DBA’s Head of Programmes, Natasha Papa caught up with this year’s Design Effectiveness Awards judges to discuss their perspectives on design’s role at the heart of business.

07/12/2016


News


Login >>
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