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by Andrew Lam-Po-Tang
I joined AGDA in 1989, about a year after it was formed, not really understanding much about it, but very enthused by the founding members I had met. By that time, I had finished a 2 year certificate course and Randwick TAFE, had worked at Cato Design in Melbourne for 20 months, and it was the 2nd year of my small studio, Lam-Po-Tang & Co.
I joined because I thought that Australian designers were world-class in quality and greatly under-appreciated, and that there would be strength in numbers to do something about that situation. Today, that is still the case, but things have definitely improved. We have made real progress as a professional community, and I reckon AGDA has had a significant hand in that progress.
Since then, I have had time to refine what I believe in, so here is the current version. It's not quite as simple, so bear with me.
- All industries (globally) are inexorably moving to greater emphasis on intellectual capital
- Professionals and their communities can generate intellectual capital
- Graphic design, or visual design if you prefer, is one of those professional communities
- Therefore, anything that can help our designer community move forward is a good thing: for individual designers, for design studios, and for Australia!
- AGDA is about helping designers to help themselves, by anchoring the community and providing opportunities for cooperation and collaboration
- Yes, there are many other ways that designers can help themselves, but AGDA is the single largest concentration of designers in Australia
- So by supporting AGDA, I am making a long term bet that there is strength and longevity in numbers, even though AGDA will make (and has already made) mistakes along the way
So that's why I am a member. I'll admit that it has been helpful for me to have left the profession as a practititioner, because my current job as a management consultant has really helped me to become more patient and tolerant of screw-ups.
What I have learnt from my clients (all extremely large listed corporations) is that the development and growth of organisations is evolutionary, so mistakes and false starts are simply part of what you buy into when you join an organisation, whether it be a business or something like AGDA.
The issue of whether you should be a member is not about whether AGDA is doing everything it should/could be doing right now, the right way.
The issue is whether you want to both benefit from, and strengthen, your professional community, and whether you believe that AGDA is the best way for you to do that.
Context
I am writing this article as Andrew Lam-Po-Tang, member of AGDA. I am not writing it as the Site Editor, a former general manager or a former National and State Councillor. I have not checked with anyone else in AGDA before publishing this, nor do I think it is necessary. I would encourage my fellow members who have a soapbox to take advantage of this website to be heard.
If you are wondering what provoked this outburst, I am halfway through reading a book called "Built To Last", by James P. Collins and Jerry I. Porras. It is both very inspiring and very sobering. Read it if business or management are things that interest you in the design game.
Cheers!
Return to Observations
AGDA Members: Discuss this article in AGDA's Business Forum.
The views expressed this article are not necessarily those of AGDA. Please note that the information in this article is the opinion of the author only. I can therefore accept no responsibility for actions taken on the basis of this information. Copyright Andrew Lam-Po-Tang (andrew@lam-po-tang com), 1998-2008. Permission is granted to freely copy this document in electronic form, or to print, for personal use. Reprinting for non-personal use will require the express permission of the author (which I will generally be very happy to give).
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