DBA to launch design agency search service

The Design Business Association is launching a service to help companies find the right design agency for their projects.

It will be the equivalent of the Advertising Agency Register, marketing itself as a way of saving clients time and money and allowing them to select agencies from a worldwide database.

The service will compete with the Global Design Agency, which was launched five years ago by leading members of the design industry, and recently changed its name from the European Design Agency.

The DBA says the service is being launched in response to demand from clients. It works by identifying consultancies which have worked on similar projects in the past, but leaves the final decision to the client. The search fee will be between 250 and 750, depending on the size of the client’s budget.

The DBA believes it is a good time to launch such a service. Its research shows that over 90 per cent of companies believe design provides a competitive edge, but that 50 per cent think they are not using their design budget effectively.