dba | design business association

About the Awards

Good design means good business.

The Design Business Association is the UK's most vocal champion of the role of effective design in the creation of business growth. The DBA was founded in 1986 to recognise, communicate and reward the integral role that design effectiveness plays in commercial success.

The most important way of communicating the value of design is by measuring its true effectiveness. The DBA's annual Design Effectiveness Awards are both prestigious and authoritative, the only award scheme that uses commercial data as a key judging criteria. Year after year, winning case studies demonstrate that successful projects require the integration of the design brief with business aims and objectives from the outset. This sets the stage for a transparent and accountable relationship between client and designer that provides the best creative and commercial environment for success.

The case studies also serve to demonstrate the excellent value for money and return on investment that a coherent, well-thought-out and professionally executed design strategy can achieve. In a crowded marketplace, there is no place for one hit wonders; good design and good business are a long-term relationship.

Design delivers. Here’s the proof.

Every year the results from the Design Effectiveness Awards are plotted into the Design Effectiveness League Tables. These show the successful companies who are consistently outperforming their competitors because they value, invest in and effectively manage design.

Gold = 15Grand prix = +10
Silver = 10International Export Award = +5
Bronze = 5 

 

Design Consultancy League Table

Position 2011	Position 2010	Agency	Total 2008 to 2010
1	1	Elmwood	135
2	4	The Team	70
3	9	Good	65
4	6	Jones Knowles Ritchie	60
5	2	Pearlfisher	55
6	8	Honey Creative	45
7	3	Lewis Moberly	40
8	5	Coley Porter Bell	35
8	9	PDD Group Ltd, London	35
10	15	20/20	30
10	9	Absolute	30
10	18	Creative Leap	30
10	9	Red Bee Media	30
14	-	Blue Marlin	25
14	-	Brandopus	25
14	13	DCA Design International	25
14	15	Design Bridge	25
14	7	Landor Associates	25
14	-	Waitrose Graphics Design-Packaging Team	25
20	18	999 Design Group	20
20	18	The Alloy	20
20	-	Kinneir Dufort	20
20	18	Tayburn	20
20	-	The Design Group (tdg)	20
20	18	Virgin and Pearson Lloyd	20