2026 DBA In Focus Report

DBA In Focus is your most powerful tool for benchmarking your business performance against the wider design industry.

The report covers fees, salaries, utilisation, income, recovery rates, benefits and trends within DBA member companies. Data is segmented by geography and size of agency to make comparisons more relevant. The DBA In Focus Report 2026, with dynamic, searchable data tables and segmented by business size and region is exclusively available to DBA members in September.
DBA members can login and download the report here. 

A clearer view of your business

“The DBA provides many essential tools and resources for the fast-changing British design community. This report is one of those valuable resources that Pearlfisher both supports and greatly benefits from, as it allows us to gauge our progress and relatively unique position in the market and the forces that affect it. Never has there been such multifaceted shifts affecting our industry, and so accurate information to hand helps keep us focused on our north star of creative excellence and business performance.” Jonathan Ford, Group Creative Director and Founding Partner, Pearlfisher

Every year, DBA members participate in the DBA’s In Focus survey to create the most accurate and representative picture of the markers of design business health. Completing the survey gives you access to both the comprehensive PDF report and an online platform allowing you to segment data tables by factors such as business size, region, performance quartiles, job roles and KPIs.

Accessing the Report

The 2026 DBA In Focus survey took place from May to June 2026. The 2026 report was published in September, ready for you to use the information in your 2027 financial planning. DBA members can login and download the report here.

The Report comes in two formats – a PDF summary report and our micro-site with report, full data and dynamic tables enabling users to benchmark across a range of variables including upper/lower quartiles as well as averages. Access the micro-site and download the report.

Read – An additional resource on staff benefits can be accessed here.

Utilising data from the 2026 DBA In Focus Report, this special report focuses on DBA member staff benefits including pensions, parental leave, health and travel benefits to benchmark how agencies may improve aspects of their staff culture.

Watch – The recording of the 2026 report launch is now available for members to watch on demand. Hear Esther Carder from Moore Kingston Smith discuss key trends from the report and what they mean for your business. Watch the recording. 

Interact – DBA members have access to the Report website. Contact Adam Fennelow if you need a reminder of your login details.

If you are not a DBA Member, but you would like to clear the fog around the numbers in your business, speak to Adam Fennelow about becoming a member and gain immediate access to the data we collect on the sector.

The Survey and the Report are supported by Paprika and VisionFR, and produced in association with Moore Kingston Smith.

What DBA In Focus means to our business. Voices from the DBA community

“The DBA In Focus Report is the best financial benchmarking report in all of the marcomms sectors. It has a high response rate giving insightful real-time data into how design agencies are managing their businesses now.”

Nick Tomlinson, President, Paprika

“The DBA In Focus Report is the only unbiased way to understand how we stack up against the industry. Without it, we’re just throwing darts in the dark. Reliable data is key for benchmarking salaries and fees—and for backing up the decisions we make.”

Andy West, Co-founder and Strategy Director, Multiadapter

“We make time to submit our data each year because we believe you get out of the report what you put in. It’s important for us all to take part because a report like this only becomes truly valuable with broad participation – the more contributors, the more meaningful the insights. It also prompts us to gather valuable business insights for our own use, helping us better understand our operations.

The report has had a real impact on our business decisions and planning by giving us credible benchmarks for salaries, fees, and productivity. It provides an externally validated source we can refer to in key discussions with clients and employees.”

Nicola Tiffany, Managing Director, HMA

“In Focus has become one of our key business management tools. It offers valuable industry insights that enable us to identify and define the key performance indicators that are essential for monitoring our performance and guiding informed decision-making.”

Louise French, Director Global Operations, forpeople

“We find the DBA In Focus Report to be really insightful and helps us to benchmark various facets of the agency against relevant performance measurements.”

Tim Howitt, Co-Founder & Director, Design4Retail

“Submitting our data each year helps us benchmark with confidence and stay aligned with industry best practices. The report has become a trusted reference point in shaping AD&CO’s strategy and future planning. It’s also reassuring to see that the challenges we face are shared by other DBA members – it gives us greater clarity and confidence when making critical decisions about the direction of the business.”

Andrew Shields, Creative Director, AD&CO Media

“The DBA’s annual benchmarking report is an invaluable resource, providing crucial data and trends that keep us informed and competitive in the design industry.”

Khadija Kapacee, Co-founder and MD, EDIT