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My first reaction is to say, "Don't do it!! Oh the frustration, disappointment and generally mediocre income," but then I admit that I am overlooking the joy and satisfaction (not to mention decent money if you can manage the career/business thing well).

I chuckled to myself imagining how incensed some designers might get with some of the questions (eg. what is the difference between DTP and design?) but I think the real issue here is that the lack of awareness is very real, and that as an industry we need to be patient and committed to helping people understand what designers do so that in the long run, designers are widely regarded in Australia as a true and distinct profession. How would you answer these questions?

> 1. What are the minimum qualifications for membership of your Association?

There are no minimum educational qualifications (yet) as many of our current leading designers "made it" before degree or certificate courses became the standard entry path - so basically anyone can join provided they can get a nominating member (the easiest way to do this is as a student, or come to one of our functions and meet some practising members)

> 2. Can I become a Student Member if enrolled in any of these courses [several TAFE course listed]? -

Yes

> My other option is to start some other business and study at nights for a formal qualification.

If you want to be a technician (eg. desktop publisher) then doing a course part-time is fine, but I think you would find it would be quite difficult to get right into the role of a creative designer when you have outside commercial interests to address - my bet is full time is best if you can afford it, second-best is working in a design studio and studying part-time.

> 3. What is your definition of where Desktop Publishing stops and Graphic Design starts?

Good question, but difficult to answer succinctly - here goes... DTP is essentially a technician service: client instructs DTPer, who adds relatively little in the way of creative content - the briefs tend to be extremely prescriptive (eg. I want a letterhead with this type of lettering here and here). Design is a more creative and collaborative process, generally the brief tends to focus around the communication or business problem (eg. I need to portray this image to my target market, not clear whether I need a new logo or just a new brochure/website). At the high end of the game, designers get paid more, but on average it wouldn't surprise me if the middle-of-the-roaders made the same as DTPers.

> 4. What are the limitations on me just using the software available and setting myself up as a desktop publisher using clip-art or other non-copyright graphic material? I feel that with the software available, I can produce acceptable original graphic material right now.

No real limitations, but I would challenge the notion of "acceptable original graphic material" as it implies a very narrow definition of what "graphic" is, ie. the final visual thingie. The fundamental role of a designer is not to come up with the visual thingie (although this is clearly part of the final output), but to work out what visual elements make most sense for the client, given their type of business, target audiences/markets, key messages, brand positioning and overall budget - this is more involved than picking out something fun or novel looking.

> 5. Is Apple/Mac with Quark / Photoshop really the only way to go?

No, but you'll find practically all pros use Mac because it has the best range of design-specific software and is almost bullet-proof as far as the interface goes. The bullet-proof bit is important because one of the critical constraints in a studio is designer time, and anything that saves them time is worth good money.

Finally, given your background [engineering professional with 20 yrs experience] I think you really have two choices:
1. A home-based "retirement" business that is not too taxing -> DTP
2. A home-based business that is challenging and creative -> Graphic Design

Either option will generate cash, and be a whole lot looser than engineering, but it really depends on whether you are looking for a cash businesses or something fundamentally different to do. I am biased (of course) but I reckon "real" design is more fun.

I would strongly urge you to go to a couple of our seminars to meet some people and get a better sense of what they do.

Regards,

Andrew Lam-Po-Tang
AGDA Website Editor
AGDA National Treasurer

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