The Australian Design Alliance (ADA) was launched this morning at the Sydney Opera House.

A new strategic partnership of Australia’s leading design bodies, the ADA aims to alter the government and wider public’s perception of design, address public indifference to design, and bring the various bodies associated with design and the crafts together to speak with one voice at a national level.

As keynote speaker, architect Michael Bryce put it: The ADA is a fight for recognition of the designer… and the beginning of a voice that could lift this country.

The launch brought design professionals from a broad range of disciplines together to discuss the ADA’s mission, and establish a framework to develop a culture of design in Australia. The focus was on strengthening economic competitiveness, innovation and sustainability.

Ten facilitators spoke on a range of issues – from design policy and design research to design education and design as competitive advantage.

Several key themes emerged from the lively discussion, and it was unanimously agreed that the top three priorities for the ADA should be: development of a national design policy; introduction of design to the school curriculum; and development and promotion of case studies.

“ADA has the potential of combined talents to propel design to a national stage,” said QLD Government architect, Philip Follent, in his address on Design as a City. “Design adds to economic and social wellbeing.”

“Innovation is the key driver of economic growth,” said Gerry Mussett, Managing Director of Sprocket Design. “And design is at the forefront of the innovation drive.”

The ADA is addressing issues in the design industry and the wider community that we are already aware of. With a unified voice across the industry and an agreed-upon framework to develop a culture of design in Australia, we have a far better chance of meaningfully engaging the public, businesses and communities, and being heard at a national level. As Hael Kobayashi, Senior advisor to the INDEX Awards said, “ADA is a call to action”.