Proving a return on design investment

To start with, return on design investment matters to clients. Look at it from their perspective. You’re asking them to spend 10, 20 30 thousand dollars because you say it’s needed; “design will add value”.
We believe clients can lift productivity and profits by investing in design that’s tied to business outcomes. Research from other countries shows the gains are real and repeatable here. So how do we PROVE return on design investment.

What the data says

UK (Design Council): On average, every $1 invested in design returns $20 in revenue.
US (Design Management Institute): Design-led listed companies outperformed the market by 228% (Design Value Index).
Denmark: Companies that invest in design grow 22% faster than non-investors; continuous investors see up to 40% higher growth.
Finland: A model for measuring design investment and return.

A practical approach: Finland’s Design ROI

Finland built a method (2012 Design ROI project) to measure design benefits and give business and design a shared language. The project’s approach continues in Finnish design policy, research, and new programs linking design and industry (e.g., Aalto’s Finnish Design Push, 2024).

How it measures

Qualitative + quantitative indicators.
Quantitative data comes from response metrics, investment calculations, and customer surveys.
Metrics are grouped by money, time, and quantity (e.g., link customer satisfaction to cash flow via higher sales).
Define success up front

Two questions to agree on before you start

1. What is “return”?
2. What is “investment”?

Return

Clear definitions let you prove how design changes deliver results.
Examples of “returns”

Rebrand impact (shift in perception vs. competitors)
More visitors/footfall and the sales that follow
Longer dwell time and related sales lift
Clearer forms → fewer helpline calls
Use of more sustainable materials
Innovation/concept work that seeds new products
Increased product sales or market share

Note: Some returns are hard (sales, share), others are soft (brand awareness, public perception, staff morale). Soft outcomes are still measurable with before/after research — plan early and specify what you’ll track.

What counts as investment

What counts as “investment”
Design fees are only part of it. Include:

Materials/goods
Manufacturing or process changes
Research
Distribution changes
Staff time
Sales, marketing, and promotion
Implementation costs.

Putting this into practice

Align business and design goals
Start every project by understanding what business problem the client is trying to solve, not just what they want designed

Define returns (hard + soft) and investments
Be specific about what success looks like in measurable data and include all costs, not just your design fees
Choose indicators (money/time/quantity + perception).
Select 2-3 metrics you can realistically track before and after the project, mixing quantitative data with qualitative feedback.
Set baselines (before) and targets (after).
Document current performance levels and agree on realistic improvement targets with your client.
Forecast impact, then track and report.
Make predictions about expected outcomes, then follow up 3-6 months after launch to measure results.
Keep a data bank to learn and improve.
Build a collection of your most compelling before/after results to use in future proposals and case studies.

Takeaway

If you would like to develop an RODI approach contact Greg.

Greg Branson

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About Greg Branson

Greg’s passion is the research and development of methods that improve design management and the role of design in business.

His longevity is in his ability to change and adapt. Greg’s career as a traditionally-trained photographer; became an academic, teaching photography to design students. He co-founded and ran Mackay Branson design (for over 25 years) until, recognising an area that he loved – design management – was not an area traditionally covered in design education. This lead to him founding Design Business Council. Since then he has worked alongside hundreds of Australian creatives helping them manage their business better.

Greg has sat on the AGDA Victoria and National councils, on a number of University and TAFE Advisory Boards and helped rewrite the VCE Visual Communication curriculum.

Outside of DBC, he is a passionate analogue photographer who spends an inordinate amount of time in his darkroom. You can follow his work on instagram @gregurbanfilm

Always happy to chat, he can be contacted here.