Design Orientation Clusters in Design-Marketing Relationships: A Survey of Spanish Companies

This article presents a segmentation analysis that categorizes industrial design firms based on levels of design orientation. It could serve as a useful framework for designers to tailor their marketing strategies to specific groups or companies. We conducted both qualitative research involving experts, and quantitative research using a sample of 201 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Spanish furniture and lighting industries. The design capacity building approach of design orientation, which was determined by evaluating scores across seven dimensions of the design orientation scale, was adopted based on: 1) awareness of the benefits of design; 2) design sensibility; 3) basic design skills; 4) specialized design skills; 5) involving others; 6) design organization; and, 7) innovation skills. The results identified three clusters with different behaviors: “full design orientation” (Cluster 1), “design orientation from the top down” (Cluster 2), and “operational design orientation” (Cluster 3). This research provides a pragmatic tool for design service providers, linking design skills, design impact, and organizational performance.