Despite the inroads made by brand design agencies in establishing the value of what they do, as an industry, there is still a long way to go. All too often, value is seen in monetary terms, which supports the myth that creativity (which is often difficult to quantify) lacks value in the business world. This is, of course, not true. Creativity has real purpose; it yields useful results. It is about finding distinctive solutions to often complex challenges. Without creativity, there is no innovation, no inspiration, no soul, and, ultimately, very limited growth for brands and businesses. Yet the disconnect remains. In a creativity-fuelled industry, designers need to redefine themselves and entrench the value that design plays in business. It must be shown that design is not merely superficial; it goes far beyond a cosmetic “surface treatment” for a brand. Ultimately, design must be repositioned as a business asset – we need to show that great design goes hand in hand with great strate...

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