Design networks and competitiveness. The Italian furniture districts case

In the last decades, as in the case of Italy, design as a fundamental component of the firm’s strategy characterized a small number of firms, oriented to niche markets. Recently, however, the concept of design is evolving, from exclusivity to democratic design. Firms have to develop or enter into design networks where designers are not necessarily at the core of those networks in terms of customer analysis and market relationship management. Based on a quantitative research on about 100 firms in six Italian furniture districts, the chapter analyzes the strategies of district SMEs to outline alternative models in design management