Detailed research methodology
The Value of Design Factfinder contains research from a number of sources. The main two sources are:
- The Design Council National Survey of Firms 2005
- Added Value Research 2007
The Design Council National Survey of Firms 2005
For several years the Design Council has carried out its National Survey of Firms. In the past, the National Survey of Firms 2005 has gathered information on UK businesses’ attitudes to design, alongside details on how they use design in their operations. In the 2005 survey, we sought to find out more about the tangible impacts of design on businesses.
The National Survey of Firms 2005 was based on telephone interviews with 1,500 businesses. The sampling frame for the survey was the Experian National Business Database. Only businesses with more than ten employees were considered, and the sample was designed to produce statistically robust conclusions according to business size. As smaller businesses form the vast majority of UK businesses, a random sample would not have produced enough interviews with larger businesses to build a meaningful picture.
Roughly equal numbers of businesses were surveyed in three size categories:
- Small businesses (10 to 49 employees)
- Medium-sized businesses (50 to 249 employees)
- Large businesses (250 or more employees).
We also made sure that there was a mix of industry sectors, and an equal spread of interviews across the 12 regions and countries of the UK.
The results of the survey have been weighted to match the national population of businesses with ten or more employees. We used the National Business Database to do this. This means that the findings quoted from the National Survey of Firms 2005 in the Value of Design Factfinder are equivalent to the results that would have been achieved from a census of all the businesses in the UK with ten or more employees.
‘Design alert’ businesses
We asked all 1,500 businesses surveyed whether they’d observed a direct impact from the use of design on several business performance measures. These included new products and services, new markets, market share, and competitiveness, and direct performance indicators, such as profit, turnover and employment. Each business was assigned points for their responses depending on the level of impact of design. Two hundred and fifty businesses that had observed an impact from design on these measures went on to complete a supplementary survey. In this survey, respondents were asked to quantify the impact that design had on this range of measures. We call these businesses ‘design alert’.
The multivariate analysis
We wanted to find out more about the relationships between design and businesses’ performance, so we conducted another piece of research.
We ran the data from the National Survey of Firms 2005 through multivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis is a statistical technique that analyses the relationships between more than two variables. Carrying out multivariate analysis in this research meant we could isolate the effect of design on business performance from other factors.
We measured the relationship between the attitudes and use of design among businesses, and a number of indicators that characterise business growth. These include turnover, profit and employment growth.
The regions
We spoke to a range of businesses in each of the regions and countries of the UK. The data from the National Survey of Firms 2005 represents the following snapshots of each region and country in the UK:
East Midlands
Sectors:
- 45% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 22% manufacturing
- 18% property, finance and business services
- 15% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 85%
- 50-249 employees: 13%
- 250+: 2%
East of England
Sectors:
- 44% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 21% manufacturing
- 20% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
- 16% property, finance and business services
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 90%
- 50-249 employees: 9%
- 250+: 2%
London
Sectors:
- 45% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 33% property, finance and business services
- 12% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
- 10% manufacturing
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 90%
- 50-249 employees: 8%
- 250+: 2%
Northern Ireland
Sectors:
- 51% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 18% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
- 15% manufacturing
- 15% property, finance and business services
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 89%
- 50-249 employees: 10%
- 250+: 2%
North East
Sectors:
- 53% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 18% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
- 14% manufacturing
- 14% property, finance and business services
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 87%
- 50-249 employees: 11%
- 250+: 2%
North West
Sectors:
- 50% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 19% manufacturing
- 17% property, finance and business services
- 14% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 88%
- 50-249 employees: 10%
- 250+: 2%
Scotland
Sectors:
- 53% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 19% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
- 14% manufacturing
- 15% property, finance and business services
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 87%
- 50-249 employees: 12%
- 250+: 2%
South East
Sectors:
- 38% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 25% property, finance and business services
- 19% manufacturing
- 18% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 88%
- 50-249 employees: 10%
- 250+: 2%
South West
Sectors:
- 53% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 16% property, finance and business services
- 16% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
- 15% manufacturing
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 89%
- 50-249 employees: 10%
- 250+: 2%
Wales
Sectors:
- 52% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 17% manufacturing
- 16% property, finance and business services
- 16% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 85%
- 50-249 employees: 12%
- 250+: 2%
West Midlands
Sectors:
- 46% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 23% manufacturing
- 16% property, finance and business services
- 15% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 87%
- 50-249 employees: 11%
- 250+: 2%
Yorkshire and the Humberside
Sectors:
- 44% retail, wholesale and leisure services
- 21% manufacturing
- 19% property, finance and business services
- 15% primary industry, construction, utilities and communications
Business size:
- 10-49 employees: 87%
- 50-249 employees: 11%
- 250+: 2%
Added Value Research 2007
The Added Value Research 2007 explored how UK businesses add value to their core offer and why. We also investigated the role that design plays in this process, either directly or indirectly.
To see how we defined added value for this survey, please see the Glossary or Adding value through design.
The Added Value Research 2007 was based on telephone interviews with 503 businesses. The sampling frame for the survey was the Dun & Bradstreet Business database. Only businesses with more than ten employees were considered, and the sample was designed to produce statistically robust conclusions according to size and sector.
Businesses were surveyed from three key sectors:
- Manufacturing – 200 businesses
- Retail & distribution – 153 businesses
- Service – 150 businesses
We also interviews businesses of a range of businesses sizes, but excluded businesses with fewer than 10 employees:
- 10-49 employees – 176 businesses
- 50-249 employees – 175 businesses
- 250+ employees – 152 businesses
These quotas were interlocking and produced the sample described in the table below:
We also ensured a mix across the regions and countries of the UK.
The results of the survey have been weighted to match the national population of businesses with ten or more employees. This means that the findings quoted from the Added Value Research 2007 are equivalent to the results that would have been achieved from a census of all the businesses in the UK with ten or more employees.
Other details
We’ve rounded all the figures in the Value of Design Factfinder to the closest percentage point. Totals to 100% may vary by one percentage. However, to ensure graphic consistency, all charts have used a scale to 100%.
The National Survey of Firms 2005 was conducted was conducted by Public and Corporate Economic Consultants (PACEC) between July and September 2005.
The Added Value Research 2007 was conducted by Continental Research in November 2006.
Unless otherwise stated, all the figures in the Value of Design Factfinder come from the National Survey of Firms 2005 or Added Value Research 2007.