Define Design Forum

Be seen. Be understood. Be valued.

• Ever wondered why your design occupation is not visible in survey dropdown boxes?
• Ever found it difficult to list a job ad with the title you want, or find the skilled workers you need?
• Ever failed to articulate to potential clients the unique value and skills of your design profession?

That’s because all professional role titles and descriptions in Australia, including design jobs, need an Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)profile – and the last time this list was fully updated was in 2006! So, there’s a lot of information about design professions in ANZSCO which needs to be updated, added or removed, and we need your help.

Join us at this forum to share your experience and help us define your profession. 

We need your stories so the current state of the design sector is accurately recorded and described. This will ensure that:

1. Design skills and knowledges are recognised by Australian and International industry, government and education providers
2. Different and emerging design professions can advertise for roles with the right skills and experiences defined
3. Design agencies can easily promote and differentiate the quality of their design expertise and offerings

What you need to do:

1. Attend this event to learn about what is happening and contribute your ideas and stories
2. Complete the pre-forum survey, informing us about what you're doing as a design professional 
   
3. If you can’t attend this event, please still contribute via the survey

The DIA will use this information to submit an official response to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on behalf of the design industry.


Hosted by Laura Kostanski, Senior Social Architect for the CSIRO, this event will comprise:

• Introduction by Jo-Ann Kellock, DIA CEO and David Robertson, Managing Director Icarus Industrial Design. 
• Panel discussion on the relevance of the ANZSCO profiles to the design profession by:
  
  • AJ Lanyon - Acting General Manager, Australian Bureau of Statistics
  • Simon Goodrich - Co-Founder, Portable
  • Nicole Monks -  DIA Continuing Custodians Advisor
• facilitated activities for you to meet other designers, discuss and define your specific professional expertise
  

More Information

The DIA is working with the ABS to update the ANZSCO codes for design professionals. ANZSCO is an integrated framework for storing, organising and reporting occupation-related information in both statistical and client-oriented applications, such as matching job seekers to job vacancies and providing career information. ANZSCO codes are referenced in courses and used in ABS censuses and surveys. 

We are seeking input from the design community so we can most accurately represent the careers and career pathways undertaken by Australian designers.

This event is free but registration is required. We thank you for your support as we complete this important work.

As part of the DIA’s Accredited Designer program, we offer Continuing Professional Development (CPD) through our learning resources. CPD is most effective if undertaken continuously to ensure a currency of skills and knowledge. Attendance at this event is worth 2CPD points.