The term came to be closely identified with a group of Dutch product designers who have gained international recognition particularly from the 1990s onwards.
[2] More broadly, the term could be extended to fashion designers such as Viktor & Rolf and architects such as Rem Koolhaas and Francine Houben.
[2] Also playing an important role is the fact that design has become an integral part of product development in the Netherlands.
Designers are included in the earliest phases of innovative processes and the production development cycle.
The Dutch electronics company Philips, for instance, has around 450 people working on design at 12 offices around the world.