AIGA Design Leaders Confidence Index

In April 2005, AIGA began conducting a quarterly survey of design leaders to assemble an authoritative statement on the current conditions within the design economy.

This Design Leaders Confidence Index is modeled on the confidence indices developed by the Conference Board for private sector corporate leaders.

Each quarter we obtain the answers to a few simple questions from several hundred design leaders—the possible responses to the following questions are: substantially better, moderately better, same, moderately worse or substantially worse.

• How do you rate present business conditions for the economy as a whole, as compared with six months ago?
• How do you rate present business conditions for design, as compared with six months ago?
• In looking ahead six months as compared with today, do you think business conditions for the economy as a whole will be:
• In appraising the prospects for design, do you think business over the next six months, as compared with today, will be:
• Compared to [three months ago], are the chances of hiring additional staff:
• Compared to [three months ago], are the chances of purchasing additional hardware and software:

Over time, the responses enable AIGA to develop a confidence index of conditions in the profession that will be helpful to members and their colleagues in judging current conditions nationwide. The index will also help us in advocating the interests of the design community in Washington and with sponsors.

The quarterly index for July 2008 shows the beginning of a rebound in leading designers’ confidence in economic growth, rising to 68.18 from its three-year low of 64.06 in the second quarter.

While 62 percent feel the general economy is worse today than it was six months ago, only 45 percent feel the design economy is worse and one in six believe the design economy is better today than it was six months ago. Only 36 percent feel the general economy will be weaker six months into the future and even fewer (28 percent) anticipate a weaker design economy by spring of 2009. Only about one in three are less likely to add staff today than they were last April and only one in four are less likely to acquire additional equipment.

This turnaround in attitude (one in three expects the design economy to be even stronger within six months) mirrors some other indices, as well as anecdotal evidence at AIGA.