Clive Grinyer: Chairman of the Judges for the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards

For over three decades you’ve led innovation teams developing human centred solutions for the modern world. How has perception of the value of investing in design changed in that time?

I’m glad to say the value placed on design has changed enormously across those decades. When I started as a product designer we had to work hard to convince companies of the value of design and allow time to do it well. When I moved into the digital world, it became clear that issues such as usability had a direct bearing on revenue and screens started being designed to attract new customers and keep them.

Now, living in a post Apple and Google world, the expectation of design quality is high and businesses understand that design helps them compete and succeed. I’m happy to find the door so often open to design, rather than having to force my way in, though in an agile world companies value speed as much as design quality and try and cut corners, to their eventual regret.

How pivotal do you believe design will be to the businesses and services of the future?

Design has become an essential part of business, with service and design thinking methods reaching across every aspect of the customer and employee experience, culture, systems and processes. With so many new and disruptive businesses being created, the blank piece of paper for these upstart start-ups is setting the bar higher and higher. You just have to look at how the new digital banks are using design to produce innovative services that work as we always wanted them to. The conversation increasingly starts with design and that means design will be pivotal to new ideas and services – this is not a fad.

Why are the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards important?

I’ve always loved the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards because they show the impact of design in an unarguable and measurable way. They speak to the heart of organisations and show that whatever your objective is, design can transform the results you are reaching for.

What are you most looking forward to in your role as Chairman of the Design Effectiveness Awards judging panel?

The quality of the panels is very high and I am looking forward to the insight, experience and rigour that the judges will bring to the process – which is incredibly thorough and superbly organised by the DBA team.

What’s particularly struck you when reading the submissions?

This year the impact and uncertainty of markets and overall business climate cannot be ignored. The entries show how design has allowed brands and products to succeed in spite of difficult circumstances – which makes the achievements even more impressive. Design can clearly be seen as the main component of some amazing success, and it’s fantastic to see entries exploring how high aspirations and objectives have been exceeded through strategic use of design. I think this will be an impressive year. I can’t wait.