Atlanta’s Design Economy

MA! is currently seeking partners to collaborate on a comprehensive study of the Atlanta Design Economy. If you are interested in joining this initiative or would like more information, please contact us at info@atlantadesignfestival.net.

The report will provide, for the first time in a US city, key facts about the importance of design to the Atlanta economy and its key role in driving growth and in delivering high productivity. The study will clearly demonstrate the importance of developing an up to date and comprehensive evidence base to support the design of policies and programs aimed at promoting Atlanta as a key US design economy.

Why are we interested in understanding the Design Economy in Atlanta, and how will it benefit the city to deepen this understanding further? It is widely recognized, across the globe, that design is key to future economic growth and positive societal change. The evidence tells us that Atlanta has an advantage that it can build on to stimulate further growth and enhance all aspects of the city. Design is the driving force for creating solutions that address equity, diversity, and inclusion. There are examples from all over the world showing how design can stimulate growth, improve the physical environment, create new ways of doing things and enhance people’s lives through better development, service delivery and product function. From the redesign of public services provided by local councils in the UK, to designing new transportation systems and sustainable vehicles in the US, to new product design by companies all around the world, design is at the heart of innovation, productivity improvements and societal change.

What can the Design Economy deliver to Atlanta? The Design Economy is already a crucial part of what Atlanta has to offer the world. But it could deliver more for the businesses and people of Atlanta. The Design Economy enhances the attractiveness of Atlanta as a place for businesses to invest. It provides the skills needed to compete in a global marketplace, to design new products and services and to create innovative solutions to equity and global problems. It is an asset that Atlanta can use to stimulate further growth, to differentiate its offer to investors and to attract businesses and people. In short, the Design Economy is competitive advantage.

What areas of design are covered in the report?

The Design Economy is the jobs, businesses and activities that are fundamentally reliant on the skills and aptitudes of designers (product, software, systems, building, service or process) including:

• Technology
• Architecture
• Urban Development
• Interior Design
• Craft (Fashion, ceramics, etc.)

The commissioning of this study is seen as an important part of a strategy to:

1. Stimulate and support further growth across the design sector in Atlanta
2. Place design at the heart of economic growth policies
3. Leverage design as a force for economic and social good across the city – equity, diversity and inclusion
4. Elevate the profile of Atlanta as a design location, stimulating inward and external investment.

What will it produce?

• A detailed description of the size, structure and performance of the Design Economy in Atlanta – the businesses, people and products/services that are at the heart of design
• A range of case studies describing how design is influencing economies and societies – both from Atlanta and other locations around the US/world
• Recommendations on how the Design Economy might be supported and developed in the future for the benefit of Atlanta
• Benchmarks against which to monitor future growth in the Design Economy
• A well-designed, published report – an asset for the City, sponsors and the wider Design community