Design industry survey reveals frustrations with decision-making process

Poor or slow management decisions are one of the the biggest challenges facing the design process, according to an industry report from Konzepthaus.

The report surveyed over 450 people from 27 countries at a variety of levels of seniority with most respondents taking aim at management for poor or slow decision-making. Bad communication was the second biggest bugbear while employees seemed happier with the collaborative elements of their job and that they had the correct software and hardware with which to work.

“The design process can create clear differentiated advantages for a company. But to do this effectively, the corporate strategy must be communicated through the line to all managers and teams alike,” said Konzepthaus’ Moritz Hausel.

“The results of our survey show a concerning picture in management’s ability to lead their teams, effectively communicate strategies, and provide clarity to people on their roles. This lack of soft skills points to a need for more personnel development, diversity and management training in general.”

The findings chime with a recent Car Design News podcast with Konzepthaus’ CEO Martin Groschwald, which discussed the importance of designers showing greater leadership skills, particularly at boardroom level.

The report also examined the digitisation of the design process and found that over 57 per cent of the process was now predominantly digital with increasingly less reliance on clay modelling.

“We anticipate an increase in this figure for the future due to the cost and time savings that digitalisation offers within the design process,” said Hausel. “Easier adaption loops, modifications that can be implemented faster and more accurately, are all possible benefits of digitalisation.”

Indeed, from those surveyed a quarter predicted that by 2031 clay modelling will be obsolete. Counter to that was a willingness to learn and experiment with new software tools.

To read the full report, go here.