Online guide to design management and procurement

World Design Capital Valencia 2022 (WDCV2022) and the Association of Designers of the Valencian Community (ADCV) launch the ‘Guide to design management and procurement’ on the online platform contratardiseño.es, access to which is free of charge.

A pioneering initiative in Spain, the guide is intended as a tool of reference for all kinds of organisations, companies, institutions and public administrations that need guidance regarding the adequate management and procurement of design services to achieve a unique, efficient and competitive result, in accordance with the needs and values of the interested organisation.

The guide comprises various sections which include basic information (such as what design is and what it contributes); dynamics (how it is contracted and how much it costs); the types of design that can be contracted; the different procurement formulas; the legislation in force on the subject; downloadable materials, such as different briefing models; and articles by leading professionals of the sector such as Xènia Viladàs, Nacho Lavernia and Manuel Lecuona. Furthermore, it includes a specific section dedicated to public procurement processes.

The project also includes studies and analyses that support the contribution of design to the innovation, competitiveness and internationalisation of organisations, case studies of the real successes of companies that, either qualitatively or quantitatively, share their positive experiences with this sector, and interesting links.

The web platform has been developed by Copymouse, a design cooperative with a track record of more than 10 years.

Contratardiseño.es also has a specific section for reporting and alerting regarding speculative practices in the sector, which includes a manifesto that other organisations and professionals are free to join.

The use of speculative practices, in which design work is requested without payment, directly harms the creative sector but, also, those who propose such practices. The company or organisation risks receiving a project with doubtful professional guarantees, at a cost that may end up being greater than that which would correspond to a fair commission. Bad decisions are not easy or cheap to revert. We recommend the use of professional teams and designers with whom a working relationship can be built based on trust and teamwork.