Members’ Area

From receiving expert help and guidance to benchmarking your business’ performance, the Members’ Area is a gateway to resources, services and support specifically developed for those working in the field of design.

Some sections are exclusively accessible to DBA members, connecting you to the extensive range of benefits your membership provides.

DBA membership extends to everyone working within your business – all members of your team can register for their own password – ensuring the whole team benefits.

Main Content

Resources

Essential guidance, templates, insight and tools to support you on all aspects of the business of design. From contracts to client opinion, legal updates to exporting support, our resources give you instant access to expert advice and tools to help solve a wide range of business challenges.

If you can’t find the information you’re after please email membership@dba.org.uk or call +44 (0)20 3855 4126 and we’ll look to source or signpost you to guidance to match your needs. 

Members only

Key Agency Finance Metrics

By Design Business Association
Understand the ratios and metrics you can use to keep a firm handle on the health and profitability of your design business, with this handy downloadable guide. It explain and sets out how to calculate your 'Staff costs to liquidity ratio', 'Liquidity ratio', 'Debtor days', 'Recovery rates', Income per head', 'Salary to charge out fee ratio' and how to balance salaries, fees, utilisation and recovery rates.

Financial

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If you’d like to discuss joining the DBA, please email adam@dba.org.uk

Members only

Benchmarking for micro-agencies | 2025 DBA In Focus Report

By Design Business Association
Available to download and utilising data from the 2025 DBA In Focus Report, we have taken the responses of agencies with one to five people and created this report specifically for micro-agencies to enable them to benchmark their business performance, income, fees, how they use freelancers and more.

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If you’d like to discuss joining the DBA, please email adam@dba.org.uk

Members only

Using design data to drive business decisions | Launch of the 2025 In Focus Report

By Design Business Association
DBA In Focus [formerly the DBA Annual Survey Report] is your most powerful tool for benchmarking your business performance against the wider design industry. Catch up on the launch of the 2025.

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If you’d like to discuss joining the DBA, please email adam@dba.org.uk

Members only

Beyond free pitching: building stronger, smarter client relationships

By DBA x Design Week
Catch up on this DBA x Design Week webinar that looks at the root causes of free pitching and what you can do to stop it.

Financial, New business & client relations, Strategy development

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Members only

US Tariffs – what’s the impact? | DBA webinar

By Design Business Association
What are the implications of US tariffs for you and your design agency? Catch up on this clear-cut, unbiased explainer that will leave you better informed and with an understanding of the current situation and implications for your business.

International trade

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Free to view

Free Pitching: 01 The DBA stance

By Design Business Association
The DBA stance is clear – we recommend agencies do not free pitch. It devalues what you are selling and does not produce the best solution for the client.

Advice for clients, Financial, New business & client relations

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Free to view

Free Pitching: 02 Advice for Agencies

By Design Business Association
Free pitching is an unsustainable business model for design agencies – a practice that has no place in our industry – and the DBA can support you in saying no.

Financial, New business & client relations

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Free to view

Free Pitching: 03 Advice for Design Buyers

By Design Business Association
Is the method you’re using to choose your agency going to deliver the maximum return on your design investment?

Advice for clients

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Members only

Free pitching: 04 Example Response to Requests

By Design Business Association
How do you tackle client requests to free pitch? DBA members can adapt and use this example response to requests.

Financial, New business & client relations

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If you’d like to discuss joining the DBA, please email adam@dba.org.uk

Members only

Free Pitching: 05 Industry Points of View

By Design Business Association
How do other businesses take a stance? Why doesn't free pitching pay? What are the alternatives? Access industry points of views.

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If you’d like to discuss joining the DBA, please email adam@dba.org.uk

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