It's all in a relationship: a comparative study of client-design consultant relationships

A taxonomy of different types of client-design consultant relationships is delineated. Relationships that span a number of years and entail a high degree of rapport between client and design consultant are particularly beneficial. Such long-term relationships enable design professionals to gain a deep understanding of the client's business and they engender mutual respect and trust between the client and design professional, which facilitates the creation of effective design solutions. Long-term relationships are more evident in Denmark and Sweden, than in the UK.