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Canberra proved in 1996 by hosting the Bi-Annual Awards and Conference that it is no design minnow. Following in that tradition AGDA ACT is pleased to present exerpts from Ampersand -- the AGDA ACT Chapter Bi-Monthly Newsletter. Ampersand will become a regular feature on this site and comments on the newsletter or any issues regarding design in Canberra are welcomed and encouraged...

Ampersand
July-August

AGDA Awards and Conference
Is that all there is? If that's all there is, my friend, then let's keep dancing! Ah, Queensland: beautiful one day, imperfect the next.

Well, the biennial awards have come and gone. The judges had a deluge of entries (over 2000) and, judging by their sparse final choices, soon tired of good Australian graphic design. The awarded work is fine and worthy -- beautifully produced and, in most cases, impeccably designed -- as far as it goes. As a selection of works, it is also remarkably consistent (but for one very welcome punk piece) -- but herein lies the real problem. The judges appeared to be making a brave statement about what constitutes 'good' design in 2000. They seemed to decide that '50s Swiss minimalism, with fashionable '70s flat retro colours, all spacey, crisp, white, grid-based, international and sans serif, with beautiful photography and the odd, zany illustration are 'it'. I applauded a serif just for its bold statement of dissent to moderne-ism!

Now this is all very nice, but represents a lost opportunity to show Australian graphic design in all its diversity. It implies that much of it is sub-standard, by refusing to give commendations even to the few works that made it to 'finalist' status. Why not award a Pinnacle if one set of work wins across multiple categories? (The undoubtedly excellent Websdale Printing corporate materials, by the way.)

Few 'truly' commercial clients were represented. The supporting text about the design's brief and performance, which was submitted with the entries -- an excellent idea -- is unlikely to have been read in a frantic weekend of judging, which is not sufficient time to analyse the number of entries.

I wonder too, what design students will make of the selection? In preparing themselves for the realities of the design industry, what do they make of this very singular vision -- when the industry is so broad and a portfolio is supposed to show some individuality and even flexibility? Diversity is perhaps more useful to visual communication than a restrained, albeit tasteful, aesthetic.

But the awards are only half the story: there was a weekend conference on global branding too. Here is where AGDA Queensland turned it on. Excellent facilities, immaculate timing and good quality presentations that contained many ideas to consider, focusing on the immediate and longer term future of communication, made for a rich experience.

The three keynote speakers were excellent. Wally Olins, guru of ID for at least 'two hundred years' (self-acknowledged), spoke on global brands and national identities; the confusion and connections between corporate and national behaviour; and issues of interdependence and convergence for megabrands. His question fielding was in top form but pre-empted his second day's talk, where he discussed the issues of corporate responsibility in terms of financial necessity and in light of consumer-led discipline to corporations.

Ross Honeywill then discussed brand genetics and consumer profiles in an entertaining and fascinating talk about consumer aspirations and our loss of trust in large organisations. His message addressed the needs of super-consumers (style and market leaders) who want experiential branding, where the experience is more important than the transaction. He encouraged the realisation that these consumers really 'buy' -- so a corporation doesn't need to 'sell' so much and should concentrate on developing relationships.

Robert Prestipino then discussed his role as a landscape architect with the Brisbane City Council, involved with the revitalisation of suburban spaces. His role of designer-as-facilitator, encouraging a diverse group to participate in design processes, also blends concepts of art, craft and decoration into a continually evolving design, centred in and inspired by its local community.

Saturday afternoon and Sunday continued the themes with a broad range of Queensland designers, artists, techies, filmmakers and marketers presenting talks on their design process. Most of these lived up to their descriptions -- and, as concurrent sessions, it became very difficult to choose what to attend -- but some suffered from an interesting blurb that didn't become more than just an unrealised idea in actual presentation. But this is to quibble. The weekend concluded with an excellent presentation of SBS broadcast graphics and the second of Wally Olins' talks.

The AGDA Conference in Brisbane was well worth attending and faultlessly organised. Weather was good. Ah, Queensland, beautiful one day, close to perfect the next.

David Whitbread

21 today?
July 21, 2000 is a significant date for Quantum Ideas Bureau -- its their 21st birthday. AGDA ACT congratulates Frank Arnold and his team.

Established in 1979 in a pokey little office at the back of an artservice in Fyshwick. At the time there were only two other design studios operating in Canberra, a couple of art services and a few typesetting (phototypesetting) houses. Now, there are in excess of 100 graphic design studios and the art services and typesetting houses have evolved into mega graphic bureaux.

Of course, there have been many other changes over that 21 years.