“Any design business that doesn’t invest a small fee into DBA membership is missing a huge trick and competitive advantage. I’m a huge advocate.”
Richard Taylor, Founder, Brandon
(based in Manchester and London with a team of 21-50 staff)
Become a Member
The DBA is a vibrant community of design consultancies and design-driven businesses – a powerful alliance shaping the future of design in business.
With a membership of hundreds of businesses, the DBA is a valuable network, support and voice for all those involved in the delivery, commissioning and management of design who share a common commitment to operate at the highest standards of professional practice.
We support the development and growth of you, your team, your business and brand. We facilitate enlightening interactions with your peers and communicate the value of your work. Isn’t it time you joined us?
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Member Benefits
DBA membership gives you exclusive access to a wealth of services and programmes that directly impact your team’s and your business’ performance.
From benchmarking your rates and salaries against your peers, to accessing expert advice and guidance only a call or a click away, our extensive and relevant range of member benefits provides professional and practical support to help you drive efficiencies, professionalism and results.
The DBA is also uniquely placed to provide a powerful, united industry voice to champion the strategic and economic value of design to business and government. Join us, add your voice to our membership and proactively shape your own business’ and the industry’s future.
Download Membership Details
Need a handy presentation on how DBA Members maximise their involvement with the DBA to share with your colleagues? Download a PDF with all the information you need here: DBA Membership Details
Community
Share experience with like-minded businesses and design leaders. DBA members vary in shape, size and design discipline from international corporate design teams such as Diageo, Reckitt, and TfL, through world-leading design firms, to micro design studios the length and breadth of the UK, but there is an intimacy and willingness to share and learn from each other that sets our community apart. Learn from and support each other in our mission to champion effective design and effective design businesses.
“The DBA continues to be an invaluable tool for our business. Whether that’s keeping the team up to date with the latest training, providing a benchmark for how much we can justify charging, or giving us access to a network of peers and trusted advisors to help guide us.”
Amanda Kubale, MD, The Clearing
(based in the London with a team of 21-30 staff)
Your voice
Become a part of the voice for design and influence its future narrative. DBA members share their ideas, priorities and concerns with us which we use to inform advice and feedback into government. The DBA holds weekly conversations with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport empowering DBA members to influence the context in which your business is operating.
“Design needs a strong voice in the commercial world – to be perceived as a business necessity rather than a cosmetic option. The DBA is the only organisation our profession has to represent us where it matters, at the centre of industry and government.”
Callum Lumsden, Creative Director, Lumsden Design
(based in London with a team of 4-10 staff)
Championing effective design
Design is the yeast in the business mix. The more recognition at the highest levels, the more baked-in design becomes. The DBA supports our members in articulating the value of design, whether that be financial, behavioural, societal or environmental. We supports you in proving the value of design through consultations on live case studies. Articulating the effectiveness of design comes down to the ability to measure its success. The DBA helps you develop these processes and embed them in your thinking.
“Being part of a globally recognised awards scheme like the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards adds credibility to our business and help us advocate for the value and impact of our work on our clients’ businesses.”
Celine Smith, Managing Director, BrandMe
(based in London with a team of 21-50 staff)
Celebrating effective design
Judged by industry leaders, experts and CEOs of FTSE 500 businesses, and based on rigorous business case studies proving the impact of your work, the DBA Design Effectiveness Awards are one of the highest accolades in the design industry and the most rewarding to win.
“After winning a DBA Design Effectiveness Award it is clear that we’re having much deeper, strategic conversations with potential clients – the credibility that the award bestows has been really helpful.”
Philip Koh, Director of Strategy, Without®
(based in London with a team of 4-10 staff)
Business support
The DBA provides our members with business support across all the issues creative businesses grapple with, giving access to accredited industry experts, peer-to-peer learning in Members’ Forums, articles, guides and white papers.
“Our agency would be in a very different place if we hadn’t had access to the support that the DBA has given (training, advice, guidance, access to other agency owners’ views and experience).”
Sally Forsyth-Spark, Managing Director, Point 6
(based in London with a team of 20 staff)
Team development
DBA membership is for the whole company, so all your colleagues can benefit in developing professionally. All of our training courses are business focused covering subjects such as: Managing People, Project Management, Presentation Skills, Expert Client Relationship Management.
““The DBA has had a very positive impact both on me personally and on my agency as a whole. The DBA continue to innovate and be relevant – their training and development portal has made remote learning a dream.”
Owen Turner, MD, United by Design
(based in York with a team of 4-10 staff)
Mentoring
The DBA Twenty/Twenty programme pairs rising industry leaders with established design pioneers for a 12-month one-to-one mentoring relationship.
Since launching in 2011, more than 400 participants from over 250 DBA member businesses have participated. Designed specifically for individuals who want to take their thinking around business issues, their people and themselves to the next level.
“The design sector is fiercely competitive – there’s a constant undercurrent of rivalry both within agencies and between agencies. Mostly, these competitive streaks are fuelled by passion, that in turn sparks amazing work. Given this backdrop, it’s incredible how utterly brilliant and sector defining the Twenty/Twenty mentoring scheme really is. I’ve now been involved in three separate cohorts and I’ve been consistently blown away by the levels of trust, professionalism, honesty and integrity that underpin the process. This, in my opinion, is the DBA at its absolute best.”
Andy Sexton, Partner & Executive Creative Director, 2LK
(based in the South East with a team of 21-50 staff)
Benchmarking
The DBA Annual Survey report gives comparison data for agencies to allow you to compare your operational effectiveness with your peers. Available free and exclusively to DBA members, the detailed analysis in the report can help you grow your business’ competitiveness, inform your strategic planning and budgets, and enable you to make key decisions about your business with greater confidence.
Our in-house design team members are currently working together to create a Design Maturity Index to help design leaders determine how well their organisations understand design and the role of design in their business.
“The DBA’s Annual Survey Report is an extraordinary resource to have at my fingertips. It gives context on the performance of our business in terms of margins, utilisation rates and competitive salaries and benefits to name just a few examples.”
Jeannine Martin, Finance Director, Wardour
(based in London with a team of 20-30 staff)
Resources
Access to opinion pieces, thought leadership, and guidance on a wide range of topics. From sustainability to diversity, from inspirational videos on leadership, to practical advice on appraising creative staff.
For those needing HR and legal support the DBA provides two helplines fast-tracking you to expert advice.
The DBA is a source of insight, support and inspiration.
“The DBA are exceptional. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard our leadership team talk so positively about the DBA regarding the level of consumable on-point intelligence at the right time.”
Alex Bane, Founder & Creative Partner, Taxi Studio
(based in Bristol with a team of 21-50 staff)
Why have others joined the DBA?
Deborah Dawton, Chief Executive of the DBA, introduces a five minute film featuring members explaining how they benefit from being part of the DBA community.