Angol
Economic activities continue to become increasingly globalized. One result being that for companies located in developed market economies price-based competition is being replaced or supplemented by other forms of competitiveness. This book explores the shift towards design-based competitiveness and the escalation in the design-intensity of goods and services. The emphasis is on understanding the relationship between industrial design and product, corporate or national competitiveness. Industrial design's contribution to corporate competitiveness includes enhanced sales, greater profit margins compared to competitor products, improvements in manufacturing efficiency, speed of repair and enhanced visibility for the firm and its products. Design has become an important element in national and regional economic policies as governments acknowledge the important relationship that exists between design and the creation of high-value added products. Given the role design plays in corporate competitiveness, it is timely to bring together a group of academics to explore the importance of industrial design within the contemporary economy.
