OTTAWA—According to a recently released Statistics Canada report on specialized design services, graphic design lags behind other design industries. While graphic design is the largest design sector in Canada – it accounted for 43.3% of all design-related revenue in 2006 – it recorded the lowest rate of growth that year.

Specialized design firms – including graphic, industrial, interior, fashion, among others – generated a total of $2.5 billion in operating revenues in 2006, up nine percent from the previous year. Total operating revenue for graphic design services in Canada was $1.31 billion, up from $1.27 billion the previous year – an increase of 4%. Meanwhile, interior design services posted the highest jump in revenues with a 19% growth rate.

In a breakdown of graphic design services, advertising creative revenues increased 1.3% while corporate image graphic design services lagged with a 2.7% drop in revenues. Contact: www.statcan.ca