Abstract
The growing recognition of design’s value to business and society has driven rapid expansion in the design industries, intensifying competition among designers and design firms. Despite an increased scholarly attention to the strategic role of design, there is a lack of understanding how design businesses strategize and position themselves in the market. We aim to revitalise this debate by reviewing a diverse range of literatures on strategic positioning of design agencies and suggest a focus on the theory of optimal distinctiveness. This theory argues that to be successful, firms need to find an optimal balance between being different to be attractive yet at the same time being similar to gain legitimacy. We conceptualize the portfolio as a strategic interface for achieving this balance as it connects internal creative capabilities with external expectations.
Keywords
Design agencies, Strategic positioning, Optimal distinctiveness, Portfolio Strategy
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2396
Citation
Tian, B., van den Broek, A., and Koria, M. (2026) Strategic positioning in design agencies: Achieving optimal distinctiveness through portfolios, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.2396
Creative Commons License
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Included in
Strategic positioning in design agencies: Achieving optimal distinctiveness through portfolios
The growing recognition of design’s value to business and society has driven rapid expansion in the design industries, intensifying competition among designers and design firms. Despite an increased scholarly attention to the strategic role of design, there is a lack of understanding how design businesses strategize and position themselves in the market. We aim to revitalise this debate by reviewing a diverse range of literatures on strategic positioning of design agencies and suggest a focus on the theory of optimal distinctiveness. This theory argues that to be successful, firms need to find an optimal balance between being different to be attractive yet at the same time being similar to gain legitimacy. We conceptualize the portfolio as a strategic interface for achieving this balance as it connects internal creative capabilities with external expectations.