Design can be managed and practised in companies at three levels: operative, tactical and strategic (Borja de Mozota, 2003). The theoretical section of the Design ROI report considers the application of design at these three levels. Quantitatively, a larger proportion of companies that use design services buy them from an external provider. Some companies, however, consider design to be such an essential element of strategy that they do not want to outsource it; in this case they usually also manage and coordinate design in-house. (Holopainen and Järvinen, 2006) One of the benefits of having in-house designers is that it raises the company’s design competence, which makes the company increasingly aware of its own needs. It also makes companies more familiar with design service providers, as the people who order design services are ones with a background in design rather than engineering or economics. (Alanen, 2009b) The customer interviews for the Design ROI project produced similar results: companies that employed designers in their personnel were more aware of their possibilities in applying design and its effects on business internally and externally. (Pitkänen et al., 2012) There are very few companies in Finland which take care of all their own design needs. However, if this classification is considered to include all those companies which use design unconsciously, then it forms the largest group of companies of all. (Alanen, 2009a) Design may also be an integral part of a company’s operating model and strategy even if it is outsourced. More and more companies are starting to use a combination of in-house and outsourced design services. In other words, there are many ways of solving a company’s design needs. (Holopainen and Järvinen, 2006)
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THE INDUSTRY