With the integration of design into the business planning process of many large national and international companies and the identification of design as a major factor in competitive advantage the management of design has become a specialisation in its own right.

As with other technical professions many senior professional designers find their work role gravitates toward supervision and management.

A design manager has a broad understanding of the role that the many design specialisations can play in the growth and success of a business. A design manager is skilled at the strategic planning required to build a company’s success and profitability through the application of design.

A comprehensive corporate strategy for design includes the role that design can play in every department of a company. This includes the overall presentation of the company through all aspects of media and visual presentation, the design of the work environment and the design of products.

Research has demonstrated that design led companies outperform their competition in both bull and bear markets.