By Chloe J Chatton MA – Design Management PESTLE & SWOT Analysis By Chloe J Chatton MA – Design Management

PESTLE ANALYSIS Political Economical Social Technological Legal Environmental PESTLE analysis is a tool used to address the external contemporary issues that may affect a business and the way in which it works. As seen to the left, each letter represents a different element a business must consider in relation to the area of trade they operate.

PESTLE Analysis Within My Own Practice Within my own practice, there are certain denominators within the PESTLE analysis framework that can relate directly to how their factors could affect my own way of working. I have listed the denominators for each PESTLE factor in the following slides.

Funding, grants and incentives Political Trading Policies Funding, grants and incentives Political Trends

Economical Seasonality Issues (such as weddings in the spring and summer higher than other seasons, more business during these months for freelance wedding photography) Taxation (Such as self employment self assessment forms and responsibility to pay own tax and NI) Industry Growth (The freelance photography market is one of huge numbers and an extremely high competitive field, especially in terms of wedding photography.)

Customer Attitudes and Opinions Social Customer Attitudes and Opinions Cultural Taboos (must avoid enforcing taboos in order to be an inclusive and ethical designer, seeing all consumers as equals. Or, if in the event a culture definitely prohibits a certain behaviour, must adjust accordingly as to not unconsciously create a biased service or product that isolates a certain culture) Ethical Issues Consumer Role Models

Technology and Legislation (PAT testing of equipment etc) Technological Constant technological advancements are making it easier for amateur photographers to capture high quality images without the need for training (to an extent at least). Technology and Legislation (PAT testing of equipment etc)

Legal Safeguarding Regulations Model Release Forms (to ensure images can be used via a written agreement between myself and the subject if used for marketing/profitable etc purposes) Public Liability Insurance (to ensure fully covered when involving the public, and/or a public space) Tax (ensure all appropriate taxes are paid)

Environmental Sustainability (ensure I practice in a way that is sustainable and has the least impact on the environment as possible by sourcing responsibly and using products that help reduce the impact on the environment, regardless of the cost.) Carbon Footprint (responsibly reducing carbon footprint where possible by choosing to walk a short distance or use public transport where possible, along with using electronic means of contact sheets rather than printed versions. Also recycling cartridges and other materials where possible.)

The PESTLE analysis is a framework that can be used within businesses and organisations to understand the contemporary influences and factors that can affect business strategies. As designers, we must always be aware of the contemporary factors that affect the way in which we work and design products/services.

SWOT Analysis Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats The SWOT analysis is a tool that can be used to identify an organization’s strengths and weaknesses, along with potential opportunities and threats.

How SWOT can be used This worksheet was created by mindtools.com as an aid when using SWOT. Each denominator represents the questions that can be asked when thinking of the four components: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

SWOT Within My Own Practice Using the table created by mindtools.com as a guide, the following slides include points for each element of SWOT when considered within my own practice.

Strengths Individual Creativity Lateral thinking Experimental Photography Quick Turn-around in post production Practicing since 2008 Connections with large IT organisation Friendly and Polite

Weaknesses Avoids Confrontation Limited resources (photographic equipment) Not well established within my market Works around others to compose images which can lead to missed opportunities by not giving formal directions Restricts self by giving sometimes unrealistic turn-around times Lack of Confidence Lacks Leadership

Opportunities Established contact with Exertis and the marketing manager which may lead to further collaboration With a large photographic market, individual creativity is not often found – therefore perhaps I could use this to my advantage Competitor pricing is high, whereas my pricing is relatively low and tailors to an individual’s budget (advertising opportunity) Conventions and events could be an opportunity to establish myself within the market

Threats Constant evolution of technology allows for amateur photographers to create similar imagery to that of a professional – always a threat of being obsolete. More established photographers within my market that have a strong presence – my competitors Unrealistic turn-around times can develop the threat of not meeting deadlines and customer dissatisfaction Low pricing can result in being unable to sustain my business as a free lancer

Conclusion Both PESTLE and SWOT analysis are tools that can be used together to analyze where within our market our business sits. What do we need to be aware of? How do we match up to these factors? What do we already do that can be drawn upon? What do we need to improve? Identifying these gaps can help put into focus the key elements to take into consideration when developing a business strategy.