History of Proscodi

How Proscodi came about

The communication design industry has long been at a crossroads due to certification. Some in the industry wanted certification, some in the industry objected to certification, a large majority did not feel the time was right, while still others objected to the huge costs they would personally be expected to bear.

Yet from the design surveys presented by Proscodi, the results stated 90% of the designers who participated agreed there should be a means of standing behind an agreed Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practices.

So we had ...

  • Certification for: Those living in countries without certification were tired of waiting and wading through heated arguments for and against.
  • Certification against: Those who did not want certification, yet still wanted to belong to an organisation with a strong focus on Professional Business Practices and Ethics in the design industry.
  • Location: Those who did not living close enough to an organisation to attend meetings, conferences, etc did not want to pay the higher fees these orgs charge to offer the personal benefits. Yet they still desired to belong to a professional organisation.
  • Cost: Those struggling in the industry who couldn’t afford the yearly memberships that the majority of design orgs charge (no matter what good value for money they represented). Yet they still wanted to belong to an organisation with a strong focus on Professional Business Practices and Ethics in the design industry.
  • Dissatisfaction: Those who did not want to join their orgs because of one reason or another, yet desired to belong to an organisation with a strong focus on Professional Business Practices and Ethics in the design industry.

Mark Astrella sat back, thought awhile, then wrapped it all together into a tidy package - an international non profit design association with a strong focus on Professional Business Practices and Ethics in the industry, but ... focused on clients and buyers of design, the industry&rquo;s target market.

Which brings us to:

  • Client focused: Designers have long known many of their new clients are sorely lacking when it comes to basic knowledge about the design industry.

It is a reality that the majority of problems between clients (buyers of design) and designers come from lack of communication and shared knowledge. To get a client up to speed takes time and effort on the part of the designer, and unfortunately, some who are not knowledgeable themselves may impart misinformation. This creates a potential nightmare situation, with the problem expanding when, down the road, the client goes on to hire another designer, or trains their staff on what they have incorrectly learned about dealing with our industry.

By presenting a client-focused design organisation web site, Proscodi proposes a one-stop resource, uncluttered with designer-focused information. The client will find helpful information at their fingertips, and the designer will know their position is backed up by industry standard procedures, ethics and knowledge.

What Proscodi stands for

Proscodi, by making a strong focus of its Professional Business Practices and Ethics, is providing designers throughout the industry with a valid choice of organisation:

  • Designers for certification will see Proscodi as a step in the right direction.
  • Designers against certification will see that Proscodi has what they want in an organisation without the complications of certification.
  • Designers who are not in close proximity to a local organisation can now belong to an international organisation which addresses their stripped down needs.
  • Designers on strapped budgets are able to belong to an international organisation with affordable membership fees.
  • Designers dissatisfied with other organisations for one reason or another now have the choice of an international organisation.
  • All of the above will have the confidence that their combined membership dues will be prioritised in the interests of educating clients on Professional Business Practices and Ethics in the design industry.