Designers’ road(s) to success: Balancing exploration and exploitation

Abstract This study unravels different paths to success for independent designers and focuses on the balance between the artistic and economic considerations they have. Therefore, a comparative case study is presented for 48 designers looking into both business growth and perceived success. The configurational analysis explores the combination of different variables regarding success: exploration (artistic consideration), exploitation (economic consideration), job rate and tenure. The application of fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis contributes to the exploration of a configurational theory of conditions that explains why some designers achieve business growth and perceived success. To achieve both, a fulltime occupation as designer is essential. No significant proof was found for simultaneously balancing exploration and exploitation to achieve growth. However, most pathways leading to perceived success show a balance between exploration and exploitation. These findings enhance the configurational understanding of the design industry and the development of a configurational theory of performance for creative professions.