Communication and relationships between industrial design companies and their customers

This paper examines the nature of relationships and communication modes between US companies in the industrial design sector and their clients. Evidence from a survey of 85 industrial design firms suggests that most of these companies have cultivated close relationships with their customers, and that trust-based relationships are an important contributor to business success. The evidence also suggests that the most successful firms are those that serve non-local markets. Services provided by the industrial design firms integrate all elements of production processes ranging from conducting research, developing existing or emerging products, making final products, to marketing the products. This small sector of the economy offers knowledge-based inputs that are critical to the business performance of both US and foreign manufacturing firms. It is argued that while modern technology rapidly changes the way companies interact with their customers, face-to-face contact between firms and their clients is necessary for relationship-building and long-term success. Key words: U.S. industrial design sector, face-to-face contact, trust-based relationship