Design as Entrepreneurship: Towards a Design-Specific Entrepreneurship Framework

Current thinking on entrepreneurship states there is no specific link between the entrepreneur and their enterprise. Design is an individual creative act; therefore, the practitioner is not separate from their idiosyncratic process. The Designer is the product offering. Designers form Design Enterprises, meaning that with this aspect of inseparability, the Design Entrepreneur is a different kind of entrepreneur than currently discussed. The literature on the topic discusses design as a creative output, not as entrepreneurship output. Like any enterprise, Design Enterprises must be profitable. There are many entrepreneurship processes, none of which seem to address the needs of the Design Sector, accurately. The design sector is lacking in these competencies. This research identifies critical factors of how models of entrepreneurship can benefit Communication Design enterprises while addressing the needs of the sector. Based on the literature review and primary research, the author proposes a Design-Specific entrepreneurship model applicable to the sector.