ADNZ Otago/Southland regional chair Brent Alexander, from Dunedin’s The Design Studio, says for many clients the decision to use an ADNZ member is based on a desire to work with a professional who has the experience to tailor the perfect design.
“Most of our clients are people that want something a little bit different or something that’s a little bit better than the standard house designs that are out there.”
For over 50 years ADNZ has been a community for design professionals, offering support, guidance, training, promotion, and networking events for members.
The Otago/Southland branch of ADNZ has 60 members, who have all met the stringent entry criteria, and who are bound by a code of ethics.
“Having a code of ethics I think is very important,” Brent says. “It holds everyone to account and it means that you have to be professional in everything you do. To become a professional member you have to have a reasonable level of experience, and you have to have professional indemnity insurance.”
These measures offer a level of protection to clients in an industry where there can be challenges and frustrations throughout the process.
But while the threshold for membership to ADNZ is high, the organisation doesn’t like to turn away prospective members. So many who haven’t made the cut are mentored and supported in order to bring them up to the required standard.
Ongoing training is something that ADNZ takes seriously, and this along with the support, on offer, is a key reason many designers wish to be ADNZ members.
“As a member there’s a huge amount of professional support and collegiality,’’ Brent says.
“A lot of our members are one-man bands, and it’s very easy to feel isolated. We encourage the engagement and support amongst each other.’’
Visit the ADNZ stand at The Great Kiwi Home & Living Show to have a chat about why one of its members may be the right option for you.
And check out the seminars that are being offered during the show by some of the local ADNZ members.
