Member Article

Design Council chief visits North East firms to launch new programme

One of the UK’s most senior voices in design visited the North East today (10/9/13) to launch a programme which helps companies to reap the rewards of investment in design.

John Mathers, Chief Executive of the Design Council, visited Analox, in Stokesley, and Letslivehere, in Newcastle. Both companies are examples of firms which have utilised design to drive and boost their products and services.

The visit to the region, marked the launch of the Design Council’s Design Leadership Programme in the North East. In other parts of the country, the programme has already seen returns on investment in excess of £20 per £1 spent on design by focussing on how it can help increase turnover, profits and sales.

Businesses in the North East taking part in the programme can benefit from 50% supported funding from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The programme was officially launched at a lunchtime event hosted by the Institute of Directors North East and sponsored by Latimer Hinks Solicitors at the offices of livin, in Spennymoor.

As well as this:

• John Mathers toured Analox in Stokesley. He saw a number of innovations which have been aided by the way the Design Council’s Design Leadership Programme has changed the way ideas are managed and progressed.

• Mr Mathers also visited letting agent letslivehere, in Newcastle. The team showed him how work with local company Neil Wilson Design has helped to boost their business since it was founded in 2008.

John Mathers said: “We see design benefiting businesses in many ways by exploiting its opportunities to encourage growth. Whether it is the need to find new markets, diversify the offer or find new customers, design, used strategically, can help businesses meet their growth goals and ambitions. Across the North East, we see great examples of this, but there are also many companies which would benefit hugely from the guidance we at the Design Council and our associates can bring and the Design Leadership Programme can help us to do this.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Recognition PR Business Team .