Design for Growth is the biggest transformation programme we’ve run, equipping businesses for success, job creation and huge economic contribution
Innovate UK Business Growth helps thousands of ambitious SMEs a year to accelerate their growth, supporting them with strategy and resources. But many businesses overlook the need for design or don’t understand its value. We were asked to inspire founders and leaders about the impact people-centred design can have on their growth, profitability and C-19 recovery.
We developed Design for Growth, a national design coaching service. We interviewed leaders to understand their needs, explored and tested different approaches and, starting with a pilot of ten businesses, iteratively created the programme. Support included one-to-one coaching, virtual group workshops, on-demand videos and networking events.
In one year, 200+ high-growth SMEs took part. Each had a 12-week tailored coaching journey, focused on their individual business needs. We equipped them to plan, commission and manage design activity and to integrate design within their business, structure, processes and culture.
Delivering it online meant we could pair each business with the most appropriate coach, based on their needs and the coach’s expertise rather than location, and 98% of participants said the coaching met their needs.
Innovate UK invited us to continue the initiative and from 2023 we’re coaching 300 more UK high growth SMEs in strategic design.
