Polish design just wakes up, actually it just repealed the eyelid and no one knows for how long. Just five years back from now these terms did not exist in the consciousness of the average Pole. Does the Polish design even exists? Yes – born in pain, because it is Polish, and here nothing is simple.
In the majority of Polish companies implementation of a new product often involves a team of constructors, engineers and product managers. In the end, products that they have made are based on technical solutions that already exists on the market, or even are their modifications and copies. They are no different from hundreds of others and do not generate impressive profits. A simple marketing bluff with sign “new” on the product will not help.
In the end, Poland is becoming European China. Here ideas of foreign clients are implemented, they comes with their vision of a product that comes from “some designer”, we are just contractors. Of course, this approach heavily affects companies results, as contractor will never earn as much as producer – the decision-maker.
It is design, that allows one to enter new markets, help to build strong market position and creating consistent and distinctive brand image. When properly applied, it has a huge impact on science, technology and even influences people behavior.
When asked: why Polish entrepreneur so rarely decides to hire a designer? Most frequent answers are: Polish entrepreneurs have no awareness of design or insufficient designers preparation to collaborate with industry.
However, after a deeper analysis of the studies and reports one can emerge with two most important causes: Large companies invests in design (Institute of Industrial Design). While in Poland we have around 1,7 million companies, 1,2 million of them are self employed (Central Statistical Office of Poland).
Design, as a field closely related to the industry suffered in the same way as Polish companies, because of lack of policies that will support their development. Small businesses have an impression that their own design is too expensive for them, and this created vicious circle, which is turned by our Government?