An Overview of the Specialized Design Services Industry - ARCHIVED

This article examines characteristics of the specialized design services industry. While the industry is relatively small, it is strategically important as good design can make products and services more competitive. At a more detailed level, this article provides a 1998 snapshot of the design industry's five sub-industries: landscape architecture, interior design, industrial design, graphic design and "other" design services.

The article discusses how these five sub-industries are becoming less distinct. The size of firms and how size might be related to expenses, employment patterns in the industry and characteristics of the design workforce are also studied. Also investigated is the regional distribution of design firms, the types of clients they serve and the activities they undertake. Most of the article's findings are based on results from the 1998 Survey of Specialized Design and the 1996 Census.