Chairman's Message

The current theme for the GDBA is ‘Evolution’. Thanks to the committees of the past couple of years we have a very sound basis for the development of the GDBA as an organisation. We have produced a development strategy for the GDBA which will see it grow in strength, develop more member resources and benefits and become the leading voice for the industry.

The core elements of this strategy which will be introduced this year are the following:

Liaison Officer
A Liaison Officer has been assigned for each member company. This means that member companies have one contact for queries and feed-back to the committee, one individual who will deal with any issues raised and resolve any problems.

Professional Development
We are also focussing on Professional Development and Training through closer liaison with Design Ireland, Educational Institutions and other Professional Bodies as well as the hosting of talks and a National Conference event next year.

Member Input
There is a drive to add to Member Services and to enhance member feedback and communication on a structured and ongoing basis.

The Future
We are currently looking at developing a Three-Year Plan for the Association which will further the core goals of Representing, Supporting and Developing Irish graphic design businesses. We intend to thoroughly review the option for inviting other disciplines such as Product Design and New Media as full Members. We are also encouraging greater engagement from the design colleges to promote our commitment to educating future design professionals.

Finally
The GDBA can only continue to succeed by direct engagement from our Members and I encourage all of them to proactively participate in our association.
Ciaran Flanagan
Chairman