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In a significant step in 2007, design was incorporated into a national strategic framework in Poland: Operational Programme Innovative Economy 2007–2013. The policy presents nine ‘priority axes’ and within the fifth priority axis, ‘diffusion of innovation’, a number of measures are supported, including ‘information and promotion regarding industrial design’. Under this remit, ‘Design Your Profit’ (DYP) is the key programme for improving the competitiveness of Polish businesses by applying design for process and product innovation. While the project provides expertise, methodologies and practical solutions for companies and designers to effectively create innovative product designs and get them onto the market, a significant aspect of this project is its systematic evaluation process.    

The rationale behind the implementation of DYP centres on the notion that ‘at present, enterprises, in particular SMEs, are not using opportunities created by industrial design. That is why the support in this area will contribute to the promotion of industrial design as one of the sources of competitive prevalence and, at the same time, to the growing interest of SMEs in conducting R&D activity in this respect.’  Highlighting industrial design on the policy agenda as a mechanism for innovation illustrates that Poland is at the forefront of a growing trend across Europe.

DYP is operating from September 2008 to December 2011 and is delivered by the Institute of Industrial Design with 23 full-time members of staff. With a budget of €18 million (85% subsidised by the European Union), DYP has the largest budget dedicated to a single design business support programme in Europe. The project has two target audiences, entrepreneurs and designers.
For the SMEs the project aims to increase knowledge and expertise in:
• design as a tool of competitiveness, innovation and improving business profitability;
• how to market new product designs;
• methods of cooperation with designers.
 For designers, the aim is to enhance their skills sets in
• the market context (technology, marketing, sales);
• methods of cooperating with entrepreneurs.
The main objective is to develop a professional business environment facilitating collaboration between entrepreneurs and designers in the field of industrial design.

The programme is free for participants. A national information and advertisement campaign in printed and online media has been conducted to attract involvement, supported by active telemarketing. Participants are able to log into the project website and complete a self-assessment questionnaire. The self-assessment questionnaire for companies contains questions and a ranking system that helps to diagnose the ‘design implementation maturity’ in specific fields, such as awareness of design strategy, cooperation with designers, marketing strategy, design project management, resources and so on, resulting in a simple spider graph and recommendation of the best type of workshops for employees depending on their experience.

DYP offers four types of workshops: (1) methodologies for business processes, focusing on design management within companies; (2) principles of cooperation in multidisciplinary teams, which include designers (for companies); (3) methodologies and practices of cooperation with entrepreneurs in design implementation processes (for designers); (4) engaging both designers and companies in practical simulation of new product development. As well as workshops, DYP delivers a comprehensive offering: e-learning capabilities through online access to a digital library containing design management resources, biographical profiles on prominent Polish designers available in the ‘Polish Designers Lexicon’, research articles, interviews and films, as well as exhibitions presenting business models used to develop products and enhance cooperation between designers and manufacturers.

Quantitative Targets & Progress to Date

A thorough evaluation process constitutes a tool for providing information about project implementation status, facilitating quick reaction if necessary. The project’s implementation process is subject to standard reporting procedures that conform to EU co-financing requirements. However, an additional, systematic and substantive evaluation of project results is performed using a specially developed methodology in cooperation with the Polish Evaluation Association based on guidelines from the Ministry of Regional Development. The programme evaluation is designed to assist project coordinators in the correct implementation and delivery of the project. This includes periodic evaluation covering all the major outputs of the project during rollout. A general report is drawn up biannually during the project, presenting results and recommendations for the next period designed to improve the project’s efficiency, effectiveness and quality.

A robust evaluation component should not to be underestimated, as the lack of tools to evaluate the role of design in competitiveness has been a stumbling block in communicating the value of design to policy-makers. Consequently, one of the key merits of DYP is the emphasis on learning and adaptation as a result of regular evaluation. Although the achievements to date are behind the original schedule, the DYP team are confident that as a result of what has been learnt, it will be possible to achieve the objectives.

For more information visit: www.zsz.com.pl/en/

[Photo caption: Design Your Profit workshops for designers and companies, Warsaw, 27–29 October 2010.]