Global Talent: design industry

In July the Home Office added design industry as a new endorsement route, with a new endorsing body in the form of the Design Business Association (DBA).

Like architecture and fashion design, these peer review applications for endorsement fall under Arts Council England’s broad umbrella, even though the specialist endorsing body actually decides; in this case, the DBA.

What design fields does this cover?

Arts Council provides the following non-exhaustive list of design-based disciplines that it will consider for endorsement:

• Graphic design
• Brand design
• Motion graphics design (other than for film and TV)
• Product design and development (other than digital product design)
• Furniture design (excludes bespoke pieces and artistic design)
• Commercial interior design (excludes domestic design)
• Exhibition design and display (excludes art exhibition and museum curation)
• Service design

The guidance specifies that the ‘designer must work within a commercial design setting, and/or in the design and production of functional products, services and systems intended for mass production and/or use’. Practitioners in this field will note that this is in contrast to some fields whereby working in a commercial setting will actually exclude you from qualifying.

The following disciplines are ineligible for consideration:

• Visual arts designers
• Craftspeople
• Illustrators
• Architects
• Landscape design
• Urban design
• Textiles design
• Spatial design
• Jewellery design
• Fashion designers
• Digital design
• UX/UI design
• Visual effects design
• Production design
• Set design for film and TV
• Set design for theatre
• Costume design for film and TV
• Costume design for theatre
• Games design

In most of these cases, it is because that particular discipline is covered by another endorsing body.

Can you apply on the basis of exceptional promise?

Unlike film and TV candidates applying under the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), who have to be an exceptional talent to apply, design candidates can alternatively apply on the basis of exceptional promise, if they are at the start of their career.

Anyone endorsed as an exceptional promise will qualify for indefinite leave to remain after five years; anyone endorsed as an exceptional talent, after three years (at least under our current rules, who knows what this will look like under the new system).

What evidence is required?

This will be the ‘standard’ Arts Council set of evidence:

• CV
• Three reference letters
• Ten pieces of evidence (evidencing at least two of the following three: appearances/distribution, media recognition and awards, all in the last five years)

Three reference letters

• Two of the letters must come from well established design organisations (one of which must be in the UK)
• One of the letters must be from a well established design organisation (UK or non-UK) or an individual with expertise in the field
• In both cases, you must have worked with them in a design capacity

These letters are subject to the usual Arts Council formatting and content requirements, e.g. they must specify what you would contribute to the UK design scene and how you would benefit from it, they must be signed and dated and they must include a CV or biography. The Arts Council website has the full list of formatting and content requirements.

Appearances and distribution

This evidence must be ‘proof of appearances, publications, exhibitions or distribution’ of your work in the last five years in contexts that are recognised as internationally significant (or nationally, if applying on the basis of exceptional promise) in the field of design.

If applying on the basis of exceptional talent, the evidence must be from at least two countries. Either way, the evidence must demonstrate at least two publications, appearances, exhibitions or distribution deals. The guidance provides the following examples:

• Proof of significant distribution and sales of your Design work. For example, we would accept evidence of distribution by a major retailer.
• Proof of significant use or application of your Design work. For example, we would accept evidence of the number of users of a service you have developed.
• Evidence of independent exhibitions or festivals featuring your design work. For example, we would accept evidence of your work being displayed at London Design Biennale, Salon de Mobile, London Design Festival, or in museums with curated Design exhibitions, such as the Design Museum.
• Proof of independent publications featuring your Design work. For example, we would accept monographs published by recognised international publishing.

As with other categories, there is guidance on how this is evidenced, including:

CVs, letters of support, event invitations or contracts are not acceptable to prove appearances, as they do not provide the physical proof of participation that we require.

Awards

To qualify on the basis of awards as an exceptional talent, you must provide evidence of having won at least one international award in the field of design. Anyone applying on the basis of exceptional promise only needs to provide evidence of having won, nominated or being shortlisted for at least one national or international award in the field of design. In either case, as usual, you can alternatively rely on having made a significant contribution to an award win or nomination by another individual or group.

The guidance very helpfully sets out a non-exhaustive list of awards that would typically be eligible, which is slightly different depending on whether you’re applying as a talent:

Red Dot, iF Award, D&AD Award (any pencil), Pentawards, Dieline, Royal Designer in Industry, Salone del Mobile Milano Award, Transform Awards, Cannes Lions,  Creative Pool, Clio Awards, Art Directors Club, Graphics Awards, DBA Design Effectiveness, Retail Week Awards, POPAI Awards, Dezeen Award, Good Design Australia, Creative Retail Awards, Crystal Cabin Awards.

Or a promise:

D&AD New Blood Awards, RSA Student Design Award, James Dyson Awards, Red Dot, iF Award, D&AD Award (any pencil), Pentawards, Dieline, Royal Designer in Industry, Salone del Mobile Milano award, Transform Awards, DRUM Awards, Cannes Lions, Creative Pool, Clio Awards, Art Directors Club, Graphis Awards, DBA Design Effectiveness, Retail Week Awards, POPAI Awards, Dezeen Award, Good Design Australia, Creative Retail Awards, Crystal Cabin Awards.

Media coverage

Those applying as an exceptional talent who want to evidence this requirement must provide at least two examples of significant international media recognition from at least two countries, whereas those applying as a promise only need to evidence two examples of national or international media coverage from at least one country.

Predictably, it must be from a named critic whose credentials can be checked and it must critically evaluate your design work. Again, the full list of requirements on the Arts Council website should be reviewed carefully.

Conclusion

Some quick final tips to remember:

• All items of the ten pieces of evidence must be in the last five years, which will be strictly enforced
• Carefully read the guidance over and over and over again when preparing the application, as some of the criteria are quite precise yet easy to overlook
• It is important to accurately and honestly identify whether you are a talent or promise; you cannot apply as a promise just for the easier criteria if you have worked in your field for many years (as a very rough rule of thumb, to qualify as a promise, you would usually expect to have started working professionally in your field in the last five years, though the odd side job prior to that is probably fine)
• If you think you might qualify but you are not sure, have a go; there is no harm in applying and being refused (though proceed carefully if you are applying in-country to ensure you do not become an overstayer)
• If you are at all nervous about preparing the application, seek expert legal advice from someone with experience with Arts Council endorsement applications