Pedal to the metal

Oliver Kratzer's introduction to the March 2011 issue of Artichoke – his first as national president of the DIA.

Oliver Kratzer, DIA national president 2011.

Oliver Kratzer, DIA national president 2011.

It is with great delight and only a small amount of trepidation that I have accepted the mantle of national president of the Design Institute of Australia. The president is usually the first and last port of call for all the good and all the challenging issues your professional body faces. I am no stranger to the DIA, having served as NSW state president for three years, national treasurer for two, and national vice president for another two. So enough foreplay – time for the main event.

I would like to thank Joanne Cys for her capable and visionary leadership. Joanne’s term as national president was preceded by David Robertson’s eight years. Those were big shoes to fill and Jo introduced a difference in style that was the perfect transition for the last two years.

The DIA went through a significant growth phase during David’s leadership: we created and implemented a marketing plan, we opened our own office, staffed it with a great group of people, and all our systems and processes became more organized and professional. The directors who operate on a volunteer basis now have professional staff and the infrastructure to back them up. I trust you have noticed how the output of our publications, updates and information has increased over the years.

The institute has moved through this significant growth phase since 2001 and is now entering a consolidation phase. Much as every new president would like to put their own dramatic stamp on the organization, the last thing the DIA needs now are heroic actions or changes of direction … but do have a look at our updated website – quite a refreshing change!

We have entered a period where we have to carefully assess what we do, where we do it, and with whom. We run a great variety of programs in the states driven by dedicated volunteers at grass-roots level, and also an increasing number of programs at the national level.

The key to the DIA’s sustained growth will be to ensure that we focus our effort and resources on the programs most valued by the members and which bring the greatest benefit to the profession. We will seek feedback from you and our other stakeholders, and I strongly encourage you to participate when the opportunity arises: “the voice of professional design” needs to hear the voices of professional designers.

Over the next six months we will roll out a series of tools and initiatives that will empower our state councillors, your colleagues who give up their work, personal and family time to bring you some of these great events: Bubble and Speak and QDOS in Queensland, 6×6 and Graduate of the Year Award (GOTYA) in New South Wales and Victoria, WA Forum in Perth, Designer’s Saturday in the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Brisbane, various state award programs, and many, many more. Check out your programs and events brochure … we’ve been busy!

The DIA has taken a leading role in the formation of the recently launched Australian Design Alliance (AdA), an initiative that creates a common forum for all the creative industries in Australia. The DIA has just become a partner of the Creative Industries Innovation Centre (CIIC) and we expect there to be tangible benefits for our members. We have had our own representatives at the ICSID, IFI and ICOGRADA congresses this year, we are taking a proactive role in APSDA (Asia Pacific Space Designer’s Association) and have members at the highest levels of ICSID, ICOGRADA, IFI and the IDA. We are currently conducting a feasibility study for hosting the IDA 2015 congress in Australia.

After more than sixty-four years the DIA is a mature organization. We are happy to collaborate, we are happy to do our own thing. We have a healthy corporate memory, we have infrastructure, we listen and we act.

I look forward to working with the board and our national office. Please have a look at our new website, look out for more news, and make sure to update/upgrade your membership to be part of this dynamic organization.

PS: As my friend and former NSW president Clive Solari put it, a DIA membership is like a gym membership: it’s not enough to sign up, you have to turn up!

Source

Archive

Published online: 15 Oct 2011
Words: Oliver Kratzer

Issue

Artichoke, March 2011

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