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Vol. 15, No. 4, Fall 2004
Anna Grzecznowska, PhD, Department Head, Institute of Industrial Design; Emilia Mostowicz, PhD, Author, Institute of Industrial Design
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Poland became a member of the European Union in spring 2004 and although it was a proud moment for the country, there were adjustments that had to be made, and some of them have been difficult. For Polish companies, the new realities of competing in a global marketplace have caused them to take a hard look at their brands and production processes, and many of them are beginning to see that design can be a contributing factor to their success. ”In the face of similar standards in the use of technology and fairly standardized product quality,” write the authors of this article, “attractive design is the one feature that offers the possibility of differentiation in the market.”
Grzecznowska and Mostowicz, both graduates of the Warsaw School of Economics, worked together at the Warsaw-based Institute of Industrial Design on a study of design's influence on achieving market success in small and medium-size enterprises. They hoped to determine to what degree enterprises raise the competitiveness of their products as a result of investing in design, and what impact design has on economic output and the development of an enterprise strategy. Print interviews of management from approximately 150 companies found that more than 40 percent of the respondents believed design to be one of the main factors contributing to commercial success. However, the majority of the respondents-especially the textile and furniture companies-attributed their success to being able to customize their products to the requirements of their clients. Nearly 60 percent of the enterprises tried to maintain their market positions through competitive pricing. And of the 33 companies that had received awards for their products at various national and international competitions, three quarters of them recognized design as the main factor in their success in domestic, as well as foreign, markets. In general, these were the firms that were comfortable suggesting new product designs to their clients, rather than letting their clients lead the way.
The authors found that client requirements, as well as the necessity for keeping pace with the competition, were a main factor in the use of design services. Many of the firms that did not utilize design services stated that rather than possibly jeopardize future sales, they preferred to continue to manufacture designs that already sold well. Moreover, the authors speculate, some of these companies no doubt felt that investing in high-quality products and good design was less important than maintaining low prices.
Grzecznowska and Mostowicz also found that their respondents believed that both the state budget and the budgets of local provinces should allocate funds to promote Polish companies that make good use of industrial design on the European markets, and that these funds should also support cooperation between large and small industrial enterprises. Many of the firms demanded legal protection of industrial design and neutralization of unfair competition from foreign companies. The clothing and textile companies, especially, hoped the government would limit imports of low-quality products.
Finally, nearly 40 percent of the respondents supported the idea of developing a network of design centers in Poland, which at one time did have a national design council. If even some of these aims could be achieved, the authors feel, Poland would have a real chance of serious competition on world markets.
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