Companies in this industry create and develop designs for manufactured products. Major companies include Ammunition, Designworks (owned by BMW), Frog Design, IDEO, RKS, and Smart Design (all based in the US), as well as Alessi (Italy), BUSSE Design (Germany), PDD and Seymourpowell (both based in the UK).
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Demand for industrial design is driven by consumer spending and advances in technology. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficient operations and effective marketing. Large companies have advantages in taking on multiple projects and serving major customers. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing. The industry in the US is?concentrated: the top 50 companies account for about 50% of industry revenue.
PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
Major services are dominated industrial design services for products which account for about 70% of the industry's revenue. Other services include consulting services (about 15%); model design and fabrication services (about 10%); and developing and making prototypes (less than 5%).