Good practice:

D-Tool: to assess the use of design in companies and organizations

The objective of this tool is to help to determine the level of use of design in companies and organizations, and how they could improve their productivity, positioning or achieve the excellence by using it.

The self-testing is divided into four steps and its completion takes approximately 15 minutes. It is based on the analysis made by three tools:
- the Design Ladder, created by the Danish Design Centre,
- the Design Compass, tool developed by the ADCV, and
- the Design Utility Patterns, tool developed by the ADCV as well.

The first gathers general data about the company, to contextualise. The second step aims to position the company in the Design Ladder. The third step refers to its positioning in the Design Compass. The fourth step gathers specific company data, so that, in the future, results can be compared with those of similar companies or organizations, always discreetly or anonymously.

The outputs allow to identify a matrix of possible typologies of design use, solving a complex analysis in a simple way.

With this tool, a company can undertake a self-assessment in a simple way, in a short period of time and for free.
When the self-testing process is completed, the company or organization is offered a report with general conclusions based on the results obtained.

Economic study of regional design - development, implementation and promotion of the application - conclusions - establishment of strategic lines.

So far the tool has been used by 200 companies based in the Valencian region that succesfully completed the selfassesment. After analysing the results, there are 3 key findings:
1. Companies see that they can address serious challenges through design. Design is seen as an essential tool to innovate.
2. Companies that are mostly design-orientated can show weakness in the management area.
3.Companies that score the highest in the design ladder are the ones with better prospects for the future.

Identify a matrix of possible typologies of design use, which allows the company or organization to establish the level of design management.

The initial study for the development of this tool concludes that there has been a deep change in the perception of design as a tool which affects the productivity and competitiveness of a company.

Therefore, the use of this self-testing tool can be implemented and promoted among crafts companies, so they can improve their innovation processes in any of its three aspects, product innovation, process innovation or business model.