About us

The APDIG is a forum for open debate between parliament and the UK's design and innovation communities, established in 1994 by a group of MPs and Peers, led by Barry Sheerman MP.

Our projects, activities and research bring together Parliamentarians, representatives from the design sector and innovation industries, as well as academics, civil servants and policy makers. We are a trusted and reliable source of information for Parliamentarians and industry members.

The APDIG’s mission is to communicate within Parliament the enormous potential value of design, innovation and the creative industries for both the public and private sector - and society at large. We promote exchange and understanding, to enable Parliamentarians to enhance their knowledge of the issues and priorities for the design and innovation sectors.

The remit of the APDIG is very broad and the group presides over a diverse range of activities. Our work varies according to the needs of our parliamentary members and our programme is continually evolving.

As an All Party Parliamentary Group we facilitate discussion in a neutral and trusted environment, where our Parliamentary members can meet the experts they need to keep up to date with developments and leading edge practice in design and innovation.

Ten reasons why design is politically relevant

Although the pursuits of both 'politics' and 'design' are arguably as old as civilisation, there has rarely been interchange or reciprocity, or even a desire to communicate, between the two worlds. (Public building projects would be the most common exception, and notoriously in this case the two sectors rarely rub along smoothly). Both are guilty of a prevalent lack of knowledge, or true understanding, of the workings of the other. But increasingly, in Britain as in other economies, design is becoming more politically relevant, and the chasm that exists between the two communities is to our collective detriment. The APDIG exists to try and bridge this gap.