Design Impact Observatory (DesImO) was a collaborative peer-learning project financed by Horizon 2020. We informed about the launch of it here. Now, we are happy to share with you the outcome of the project which will be helpful to anyone aiming to measure design activity and impact of design in business.
The project followed a methodological process, passing from the phases of Discovering good practices, Defining the framework of a proposed methodology for measuring design and its impact on SMEs, Developing the tools/questionnaires to monitor the state of design in SMEs and the impact of a specific design intervention, and Delivering the pilot testing, which led to the elaboration of the final report - Design Options Paper (DOP).
In the report you will find:
- a tested framework methodology for measuring design activity in business as well s effectiveness of design interventions;
- five international case studies of good practice in measuring design,
- practical 'dos & don'ts' of measurement exercise,
- findings and recommendations from pilot survey testing,
- examples of survey questions for design measurement.
Measuring design poses multiple challenges as found by the project partners, it is culture- and context-specific and sometimes difficult to isolate from other business functions. However, as the role of design will be key in the green, digital and inclusive transformation that our society and small businesses require, we need to make effort to capture the state and value of design in order develop the right evidence-based interventions that will best support this transformation. DesImO Report offers a wealth of advice on how to best do that.
