International business success by design
The Government’s Design Taskforce today (May 27) unveiled a five-year strategy to help, through design leadership, at
least 50 New Zealand export-focused businesses expand at five times the average national GDP growth rate.
The taskforce, consisting of representatives of leading design-led businesses and members of the design community,
calculates its strategy will inject an additional $500 million into the economy by 2008 and $1.5 billion by 2013.
Taskforce chairman, Ray Labone said the strategy targets businesses that are growth focused, want to succeed
internationally and can most benefit from a greater design input.
“Rather than focus on the design industry itself, we have developed a strategy to improve the international
competitiveness of New Zealand’s exporters.
“We recognise that design on its own is not a silver bullet. Adopting excellent design processes – becoming design
enabled – will not itself guarantee export success.
“However, one thing is certain - in this competitive environment, ignoring or overlooking it will virtually guarantee
failure.”
Speaking at the strategy’s launch at the Auckland factory of Fisher & Paykel – one of New Zealand’s design-led export success stories – Mr Labone, said New Zealand’s competitors, both at
the national and company level, have recognised this.
“Let’s not spend to much playing catch up.”
He said New Zealand, as shown by Fisher & Paykel, had superb designers who could hold their own internationally.
Part of the taskforce exercise is to show businesses how design adds value.
“The design process starts right at the product research stage and designers, along with others such as market
researchers, marketers, engineers, technologists and operational people, work together to ensure a desirable product
hits the market.
“Design is not a tack-on at the end.”
Mtc/….
The design strategy includes plans to: Implement a number of education initiatives including industry internships for
design graduates and design courses for senior business managers; Develop design mentoring and audit programmes to build
on businesses’ understanding and awareness of the value of design and put in place practical steps to increase their
design capability; Develop a design resource directory to help businesses get access to suitably qualified and
experienced designers and service industries; Establish a programme to reduce the financial barriers to allow more New
Zealand businesses to employ design strategically; and Establish a Design Reference Group to work with businesses and
help steer the strategy.
Mr Labone said the taskforce was asking for Government investment in the implementation of the strategy and seed funding
for various programmes. “For this strategy to be successful,” Mr Labone said.
“It needs to be equally owned by the design and business communities. “We aim to create business capable designers and
design capable businesses working together to generate value.”
The Design Taskforce was appointed by the Government in May 2003 to help give a private sector focus to the
implementation of the Government’s Growth and Innovation Framework.
The framework identified design, as part of the creative industries, as a key sector in helping lift New Zealand’s
economic growth rate by helping businesses commercialise their ideas. Design is a process that helps pull together
creativity, technology, science and business to produce unique products and services that: Anticipate and satisfy
customer needs Have distinct marketable points of difference Are efficient, consistent and cost effective.
Creative industries, such as design, also leverage off New Zealand’s unique culture and capabilities which international
competitors can’t replicate.
Mr Labone said greater design capability of New Zealand businesses would allow them to make the most of their
innovation.
The taskforce identified a number of barriers to raising New Zealand’s design capability. These include: In some cases
the design community can’t meet the expectations and demands of businesses; Designers needing more business education;
Businesses not putting enough value on the input of designers; and Businesses not recognising the level of design input
needed to succeed internationally. Mtc/… For more information contact: Ray Labone – 025 418 649 Mike Booker, (Industry
New Zealand) - 025 832 921
More information on the taskforce, and copies of the taskforce report, can be downloaded from the industry taskforces
website – http://www.industrytaskforces.govt.nz
The Design Taskforce Chair Ray Labone, Designworks
Members Richard Cutfield, Pencarrow Private Equity
Mary Davy, Maxim Group
Neville Findlay, Zambesi
Professor Simon Fraser, Victoria University of Wellington
Peter Haythornthwaite, CreativeLab Limited
Michael James, UNITEC & the Designers Institute of NZ
Bina Klose, Shape Design
Jeremy Moon, Icebreaker Clothing
Professor John Raine, University of Canterbury
Henare Walmsley, Opus International Consultants
Rick Wells, Formway
Professor Leong Yap, Massey University
Taskforce convened by Hon Jim Anderton, Minister for Industry and Regional Development