Search

Design is a human-centered activity. Every design project starts with the analysis of user needs and preferences. This means that design orientation of a company should also be positively related to company’s business results. However, in most transitional countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEECs), design environment is not supported, there is no clear national design policy, design implementation in companies varies, and there is no constant measurement of design impact. The main interest of this paper is to research the level of design implementation in Croatian companies related to the managerial approach and business results, because such research is usually undertaken in more developed countries. The study focuses on the perception of management. This quantitative research has been carried out using an Internet survey to examine managers and CEOs from Croatian companies in different industries. The results show positive relations between design environment and design orientation of a company and a significant impact of management.

Understanding and meeting consumer’s needs, wants and desires is of the key importance for success in the market. While market orientation is well researched, the role of design within marketing has been neglected. Therefore the main purpose of this study is to develop the initial conceptual model researching relationships between design and market orientation. The initial conceptual model based on theory is proposed as the starting point for future research. The preliminary qualitative research about the potentials of design orientation from the managers’, as well as the designers’ perspectives has been executed at this stage of the research. Results show that differences between the two groups of examinees exist, mostly in their perception of design. The proposed design orientation-market orientation model contributes to both marketing and design scholars, as well as marketers, designers, and managers in practice. The results of this study may provide a basis for future research on the topic.