Design and innovation

Now I come from an entrepreneurial background

 

And you learn a lot when you’re building businesses

 

You learn that to succeed you must translate ideas and research into reality

 

And that’s where your industry, the design industry, comes into play

 

You work the magic

 

The magic that - at the touch of your wand - transforms a lifeless idea into a vibrant, desirable and useable product

 

This takes creativity, imagination and innovation

 

And I believe that the pace of innovation will determine our place in the world

 

So it is my ambition to release the power innovation through all sectors of our economy

 

To do this, we will need the design skills in this room to create and package the new products, new services and new business processes that will power Britain’s economic growth

 

There is no doubt that the design industry is one of the most successful on UK innovation landscape

 

Your industry is exactly where a dynamic and competitive economy needs to be

 

It is flexible and agile with the majority of design teams employing fewer than five people

 

You’re plugged-in to new media

 

And looking around the room tonight I can see many younger faces

 

It is an industry that’s on its way up

 

Design and the economic downturn

But today, the economy is on its way down

 

 And an economic downturn casts a cold shadow on everyone

 

And that’s why I believe, it’s more important than ever that we continue to innovate

 

So that British businesses remain competitive and are able to weather the economic storm

 

Let’s be clear, businesses have been more successful than Governments in understanding how design can drive innovation

 

In my own industries – Information technology and news services – Apple proved how investment in great design can revive a brand and open up market opportunities

 

So in facing a recession, successful brands must continue to meet a customer’s changing needs and perhaps lead a customer’s aspirations

 

Design in government

But there is also a role for Government

 

Our politicians and civil servants must up their game

 

They must improve their understanding of how good design can help deliver the things we want for our society

 

Good design can deliver better products & services, better outcomes for citizens and better value for money for hard-pressed tax-payers

 

And I do not mean, that we should engage, in a favourite government pastime of re-labelling

 

We should not be wasting millions on merely re-branding Whitehall departments

 

Because too often politicians think that, tinkering with the machinery of government, is an end in itself

 

But this kind of ‘re-arrangement of deckchairs’ is not the way forward

 

Better design in public policy

Better design in Government should mean better policy outcomes for people

 

And especially those people who are hardest to reach

 

An important piece of research from the think-tank Reform, showed that the ‘IPOD generation’ expects government to act as intelligently as its favourite consumer brands

 

Whether it’s wrestling with climate change, obesity or anti-social behaviour...

 

To tackle the big challenges we face today, we need to design better ways to strengthen society without extending state control

 

We must ask ourselves

 

Can better branding encourage healthy eating?

 

Can better ‘messaging’ build new social norms around recycling?

 

Can better school design mean fewer children left behind?

 

I think it can

 

 

Closing remarks

 

So in closing I leave you with this, the pace of innovation will determine our place in the world

 

And I believe that good design is at the heart of innovation

 

There will be an election the not too distant future

 

I do not know what the outcome will be

 

But I do know, that with an incoming Conservative Government one of our first priorities will be to release the power of innovation through design

 

We recognise the contribution made by your industry

 

We want you to design public services for citizens, like the ones your create for consumers

 

And we want you to play your part in creating a healthier, happier and wealthier society

 

You represent a great industry

 

Be proud of yourselves

 

And enjoy the rest of your evening