Thinklab Design Conference
a Make Condition event

'The New Malaysian Design Agenda'

Date: Saturday, 13th of March 2010
Time: 9.00 am to 1.00 pm
Venue: Auditorium Hall, National Art Gallery
Fee: RM45 for students; RM150 for professionals
(15% discount for thinklab's past participants)

Special Discount Rate for wREGA Members:
Professional & Associate members RM90 per pax

wREGA Members: Please register by emailing to thinklab@make-condition.com

About the conference:
‘The New Malaysian Design Agenda’ brings forth the domestic issues within the design community that has yet been capitalized as a global brand. Issues such as cultural identity, social responsibility, economic and environmental sustainability are some of the content to the design conference that will drive the creative agents of change to new heights in critical design thinking.

‘The New Malaysian Design Agenda” is a new platform for a larger creative network of community. Regardless of any industry you’re involved, there is a sense of urge for design, to play a larger role in sustaining future society. It is our role, in thinklab ©, to call upon various industries to re-invent, re-innovate ideas, and share their wisdom, in order to re-invigorate the cultural potential that this beautiful country possess and to share it with the world.

To read more and information on the speakers line-up:
http://www.make-condition.com/thinklab/?p=314

wREGA Meet the Members afternoon

at the Big Fat Bird Cafe

We really hope that you could join us for this event as it is being planned and organised for
all to get to know each other better, get to know wREGA better, get to know what's going on and
what's going to happen and to discuss how we can help you and our industry, as an association.

President Koh has also prepared some interesting materials to share with our fellow members.

We really really hope that you could spare some time of your schedule to join us in this special event
which is specially organise for you.

Looking forward for your support and participation.

Please RSVP by emailing wrega by Friday Noon.

::::::::::::::::: AGENDA :::::::::::::::::

3:00 Arrival & members registration
3:30 Session 1: Welcoming presentation & discussion
• Introducing wREGA's objectives & role in society
• wREGA's milestone (past achievements/ from our album)
• The year in review
• Membership profile
• Activities for 2010
4:15 Break
4:30 Session 2: Members presentation & discussion
• Presenting starter kit to new members
• Members' portfolio presentation
5:00 Informal forum
6:00 End

::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::


Date: Saturday, 5th Dec 2009
Time: 3pm to 6pm
Venue: The Big Fat Bird Cafe

Unit G11, Block C, Tropicana City Business Park, 47400 Petaling Jaya

www.bigfatbird.com

Thinklab Design Conference

THE LOCAL DESIGN CULTURE
This event is endorsed by wREGA

The theme ‘THE LOCAL DESIGN CULTURE’ is targeted towards future young creative individuals, acting as agents of change and also working professionals that are open to new ideas and insights to respective design industries. This title set the context as a beginning for a new local thinking design culture that is currently making a huge impact across the globe.

With 6 of brilliant design industry talents, such as William Harald-Wong of WHW & Associates and Suzy Sulaiman of Re-cap, this title will open the local design context to international design scene.

Details of the events are as below:

Date: Saturday, 12th of Dec 2009
Time: 9.00 am to 1.00 pm
Venue: Conference Room, National Art Gallery
Fee: RM30 for students; RM250 for professionals

Thinklab is offering our professional & associate members RM150 for group discount rate.
Please register and make your payment through Pooi at secretariat@wrega.org.

D & AD Awards 2010

Yellow Pencils!

The awards is here once more.

The D&AD Awards 2010 are open for entry. To be in with a chance to see your best work in the Annual next year, enter now.

Save 10%, enter by

Wednesday 18 November 2009

An exerpt from the website:

"Yellow Pencils are recognised the world over as a symbol of true creative achievement.

D&AD has celebrated and nurtured outstanding work in design and advertising since 1962. Year on year the D&AD Annual showcases the very best work and continues to provide an unrivalled source of creative inspiration.

D&AD is about brilliant commercial creativity, wherever and however it's produced. Whether you work in Design, Advertising or Digital there is an awards category for your entry."

Visit the website.

KUASA Conference 2009

It's finally here. wREGA Malaysia is finally organising our very FIRST design conference after talking about doing one for years and years.

Nothing too fancy as we have limited resources, we saw a gap in the design conference circuit for an Asian themed conference which led to... KUASA Design Power Asia.



KUASA which means "power" in malay, is also derived from "aKU ASiA" or "I am Asian" in the malay language.

This event comes to fruition with much help & support from fellow designers & friends (many thanks!) of wREGA who volunteered their free time to help out because we all believe and share the same goal - to uplift the local design industry with better standards, create opportunities and respect for the design profession.

Event: Design Conference
Theme: KUASA - Design Power Asia 2009
Date: 08-09 AUG 2009 (SAT - SUN)
Venue: Kota UM Campus, Jalan Tun Ismail, Kuala Lumpur.

PROGRAMME
08 AUG (SAT)
9am - 6pm -- KUASA Design Conference - 6 Speakers
7pm - 10pm -- Designer Showcase + Party
09 AUG (SUN)
9am - 1pm -- Student Workshops (details coming soon)

Costs: Full-day Pass
RM280 (professionals), RM230 (wREGA professional member),
RM200 (students), RM180 (wREGA student member).
US$100 (foreign delegates).
Designer Showcase+Party (is FREE!).
Workshops (+ minimal admin fee).

Did we mention it's very affordable?
The best value local design conference you will get, ever. What you pay for the conference is inclusive of a buffet-style networking luncheon plus mini tea-breaks throughout the day of the Conference (SAT).

You want more?
How about FREE parking and FREE bus service to nearest LRT station (PWTC, The Mall)... and a FREE official T-shirt? Aren't we nice?

....................................................................................................................................
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Where exactly is the location of the conference venue - Kota UM Campus, Jalan Tun Ismail, Kuala Lumpur?


View Larger Map

If I'm driving, can I enter through the University Malaya gateway located near University Hospital in Petaling Jaya?
No. That is the main campus in PJ. This is the kota campus in KL which Universiti Malaya shares with Open University Malaysia (OUM) located a short distance behind Bank Negara. Look for the signage along the road.
If you're driving - you can enter through the side road next to Bank Negara OR the road that goes behind The Mall (near PWTC) and over a bridge across Jalan Kuching. (see map)

How can I recommend a speaker, or let you know I am interested in speaking myself?
Please contact us to recommend a speaker. Call or email us secretariat@wrega.org
It is too late for this KUASA conference but anything is possible for the next conference or other wREGA events.

I have a workshop/showcase idea for the Conference—how can I tell you about it?
Please contact us to send us your ideas. We are always open to new ideas.

Can I receive printed materials about the Conference?
Please contact us if you'd like to receive a brochure or be added to our mailing list. Be sure to provide complete postal information with your request.

Can my company sponsor or exhibit at the KUASA Design Conference?
Please contact us for information on sponsoring or exhibiting.

Do you accommodate special needs?
Yes. We do our best to make sure our facility has total accessibility, and we do whatever is needed to make attending the Conference as convenient as possible for all attendees. If you have a special need, please contact us at kuasa2009@wrega.org after you have registered and we'll make special arrangements, if necessary.

I was once a wREGA member but my membership status has lapsed because I forgot to renew my annual subscription. Can I still get the members price for the conference?
Yes, but only if you top up your annual subscription fees including the lapsed arrears BEFORE you register for the conference. You may contact us to make the necessary arrangements.

I know someone who is a wREGA member. Can I register through him/her to get the members price?
Sorry, we treat each registration individually and the discount only applies to an individual registrant and only if the registrant provides their unique wREGA membership code no. which we will cross-check with our members database.

Can I join as a wREGA member right now to take advantage of the wREGA members price?
wREGA's membership application process takes roughly one month to vet through the applicants - the wREGA exco only meets once a month, so there may not be enough time to process your application in time for this conference. If you're really interested, pls. hurry. APPLY NOW. Our next exco meeting is scheduled on 16 July 2009.

But we still encourage you to join wREGA anyhow to participate in our various activities plus take advantage of reduced members rates for any of our future events plus other benefits. Applications only costs RM20 (admin fee) + RM50 (annual subscription fee) for professionals. Students only pay a minimal RM5 + RM15 respectively. Visit the wREGA booth at the KUASA conference. Or visit www.wrega.org for more info.

What if I have a question about the Conference that isn't answered on this site?
Email us or call Georgina +603 4042 2210 with further questions.

wREGA celebrates World Graphics Day in Malaysia

To commemorate this auspicious day, we wrote to all Graphic Design Colleges in Malaysia to encourage them to celebrate World Graphics Day by organising some events to create awareness of the value of graphic design and its profession.

The School of Design, KBU International College in Bandar Utama, came out with a short project for their Graphic Design students to commemorate World Graphics Day on 27 April 2009. The key theme of this project was to get the KBUIC Graphic Design students to 'open up' to their design lecturers, work or surroundings in relation to Graphic Design, and express their appreciation, inspiration and thoughts of this practice.

The students were given the following topics:
a. My favourite graphic designer...
b. My favourite graphic design work...
c. My favourite typeface...
d. Graphic Design and its roles in social cultural context


The students were encouraged to take this short project as an opportunity to 'refresh', 'relate' and 'reactivate' their knowledge, interest and passion in Graphic Design.

The students' final works were exhibited at the KBUIC Gallery (located at the lobby) on 27 April 2009 to celebrate World Graphics Day. The President and council members of wREGA attended the opening of the exhibition and addressed the enthusiastic students, explaining to them the roles of wREGA in encouraging professional practice and promoting design excellence.

This initial effort is the springboard to wREGA’s continuing efforts to encourage the next generation of Asian Graphic Designers to identify with ICOGRADA and its goals, for the global development in the art and science of graphic design and visual communication.



Read more about World Graphics Day here.
Feast your eyes on some beautiful posters about this event and other celebrations in various parts of the world on this day.

Call for Entries - HKDA Awards 2009

Take part in this multi-disciplinary design competition for the Asia Pacific region!

Organised by the Hong Kong Designers Association (HKDA), the HKDA Awards has been a who’s who of design excellence in Hong Kong and Asia in the last 34 years. It is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary award for professional designs in the fields of graphic, product, spatial and new media.

Originating in Hong Kong since 1975 and presided by a judging panel of globally respected design icons, the HKDA Awards has become the biggest and most important professional design competition in the region. Its programmes now include competition, seminars, awards presentation and public exhibition.

The last HKDA Awards 07 received more than 1,700 entries, collected from 36 destinations in the region including Mainland China, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taipei and Hong Kong.

Key Dates - 2009
30 May -- Deadline for Submission
29 June -- Seminar I - International Judges Series
30 Nov -- Awards Presentation
30 Nov - 5 Dec -- Exhibition
5 Dec -- Seminar II - Hong Kong Judges & Winner Series

Eligibility
HKDA Asia Design Awards 09 is open to all designers in the Asia Pacific region. Works entirely designed in the region and first released between 3 June 2007 and 30 May 2009 are eligible for entry.

For more info: Judges Panel, Submission Categories...
GOOD LUCK!

Latest Design Events & News

Did you know wREGA and kakireka are closely related? The idea for kakireka.com was born out of a few wREGA members and ex-members meeting for teh-tarik which turned into a brainstorm session on the need to setup a dynamic platform to help local graphic designers that is not bogged down by the procedural officialdom of a registered society like wREGA.

So with the help of friends & public volunteers, kakireka has been busy independently organising design smalltalk events since last year while wREGA is making a transition to a new exco board via elections and starting fresh with a renewed list of dedicated, supportive & passionate members.

wREGA Malaysia will continue supporting & help out in the running of the kakireka blogsite and all our dersign events big or small will be posted there as breaking news: www.kakireka.com

Other news

Design Event organisers
If you have any local or regional design event you want to publicise, send the details to kakireka.

Graduation Show organisers
Let kakireka know about your graduation exhibition/showcase and they will put up a notice for you.

Design Competition organisers
send kakireka the details and links and they'll help to spread the news.

Who is wREGA?

Pertubuhan Wakaf Reka Grafik Malaysia (wREGA) or the Graphic Design Association of Malaysia, was officially registered on 15 January 2001.

It is the only official authority on Graphic Design in Malaysia.
We are recognised by ICOGRADA (International Council of Graphic Design Associations), a non-governmental, non-political professional body with consultative status with UNESCO, UNIDO and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation).

Our role in society
Graphic design practitioners are architects of change on various levels. They contribute to, dictate and influence global cultures; intellectual capital; human values; personal preferences; material needs; economic activity; regional development; and last but not least; our living environment.

There’s obviously a need for a professional body like wREGA to disseminate information, to provide resources, to encourage exchange, to contribute, to educate, and to inspire.

Back to Basics

The direction wREGA is going
/ To raise the professional practice & professionalism of a graphic design practitioner. // To organise forums and provide case studies of successful businesses through graphic design. /// Partnering with industry partners for mutual benefit & gain through joint projects & promotion. //// To increase awareness of the value of graphic design & its profession. ///// Promotion of Malaysian talents in international design events. ////// To re-establish link with ICOGRADA.

Who are we talking to?

design professionals/design students -- encourage professional practice and promote design excellence ex. through awards, recognition of outstanding contributions, exhibitions; establish benchmark standards; organise talks, forum, and workshops to advance knowledge and creative skills.
clients/users -- to improve the utilisation and management of design ex. organise talks and forums; provide case studies of business success through effective graphic design; encourage development of strong local brands.
public/other professions -- create awareness of the value of graphic design and its profession eg. through exhibitions and articles on design.
educators/advocators -- provide industry expectations and current trends eg. setting up a Task Force on Education-Industry Relations.
suppliers/industry partners -- partnering for mutual benefit and gain through joint projects and promotion.
government authority -- consultative role in commerce, environment and society; helping to prepare for a knowledge-based economy.
global audience -- Asian gateway to and from the world eg. promotion of Malaysian talents in international design events.

What we hope to achieve this term?

• To maintain proper records & membership documentation.
• To increase membership & retention of members.
• To conduct annual workshop & training seminar.
• To solicit funds through joint project, exhibition or awards recognition cum annual dinner.
• To promote a "Designers’ Saturday" event amongst members’ design/ad agencies.
• To invigilate, assess & advise design students on their portfolios.
• To give out scholarship or internship to needy students.

We are counting on your support. Join wREGA today.
> Download wREGA membership form.

wREGA membership Categories

1. Professional Member

Qualifications for admission as a Professional Member – A candidate is qualified for admission as a Professional Member if:

- he is a Malaysian citizen;

- he is 21 years of age or above;

- he:

- A is in possession of academic qualifications in graphic design or in such subject which the Association

has declared is related to graphic design, in either case, from educational institutions approved by the Association,

or

- B satisfies the Executive Committee he has sufficient practical experience in graphic design or has attained a sufficient standard of skill and ability in graphic design, or has made exceptional and acknowledged contributions to the graphic design profession.

- he has been employed or practised as a Graphic Design Practitioner for not less than three (3) years;

- he has a portfolio of work that meets the standards set by the Association for Professional Members.

2. Associate Member

A candidate is qualified for admission as an Associate Member if:

- he is 18 years of age and above, and a Malaysian citizen;

- he does not fulfil the qualifications for admission as a Professional Member but is employed or practises as a graphic designer or otherwise satisfies the Executive Committee he has sufficient interests in graphic design to be admitted as a member.

3. Student Member

A candidate is qualified for admission as a Student Member if:

- he is 16 years of age and above;

- he is attending a recognised full time or part time course and whose student status shall continue for not more than one (1) year after the completion of such course, and has a letter of registration from the educational institution which he is currently attending;

- where he is a university or a university-college student, he has obtained the prior written approval from the

Vice-Chancellor of the university or university-college concerned.

Membership Fee Structure

Professional & Associate
Registration: RM 50
Annual Fee: RM 200

Student
Registration: Nil
Annual Fee: RM 50

Industry Partner

Registration: RM 50
Annual Fee: RM 1000

Life Membership

Registration: RM 50
Total Upfront Fee: RM 2000