Blackwood-based designer Michelle Rose-Innes has been appointed as an advisor for design policy in Wales by PDR, The National Centre for Product Development, Design and Research.

Michelle will be part of a steering committee which aims to bring design to the heart of decision making in Wales.

She set up brand marketing company Rose-Innes Design in Blackwood in 2005 before founding Insight Service Design, the first dedicated service design agency in Wales, in 2012. Both companies have clients throughout the UK with customers ranging from IAC Ltd in Newport to NatWest Bank.

Through Insight Service Design she uses extensive customer research and insight to successfully transform products, services, systems and even entire organisations.

Michelle said: “Design is a powerful problem solving process that has real value when applied to business, social and public sector issues but we need to change the decision-makers’ perception of what ‘design’ really is.

“It’s not about graphics, fashion or product in the traditional sense but takes a much more sophisticated approach that can be applied to problems that every business in Wales encounters to provide more innovative solutions based around customer needs.

“Those who are interested in developing innovation in their business would be advised to keep their eyes peeled for the outcome of this policy consultation process.”

Michelle’s research with PDR, which is based at Cardiff Metropolitan University, will be developed into a policy blueprint for change that will see design applied through business, social and public sector issues for problem solving and innovative change.