From left: Gillian, Kim & Liz (taken on Skype by Olivia)

Design & Art Australia Online is now in a flurry of exciting activity and development.  After months of working toward what seemed like a distant goal, suddenly it is June and the launch is within sight.  To give a little insight into how a team of only four, albeit an incredibly talented team of four, can achieve so much I thought I’d share this screen shot from Skype, taken at yesterday’s operations meeting.

Twice a week the team comes together to discuss the operational and strategic issues of the week. We check our status against our project plan, discuss problems and share ideas.  The meeting is structured largely around our accountabilities; Director’s update, Editorial, Data and Admin/Marketing.  For someone such as myself, who has joined DAAO after 10+ years in financial services, there has been quite a learning curve.  I will admit to not knowing many acronyms and terms early on, even today I learnt what a MOSCOW process is.

What makes this time so exciting is that we are now discussing a site we can see and test.  It’s moved from the conceptual to the real, and, while the journey is far from over it is incredibly satisfying to see all the hard work come together.

But back to the photo. No it is not a collective chipmunk impersonation.

For those that know the team personally, you’ll be aware that there is no lack of personality.  For example, I now know that if spontaneous dancing does occur in a meeting it is all standard practice.

Yesterday we were discussing the fact that we are all striving for success, we are all reaching for a high bar.  While we all have a lot on our plate, we know we will reach the bar because we are on fire (to coin a Fuller phrase.)  It may not be a smooth Fosby flop, it may be a us heaving ourselves over the bar as if we were escaping from prison.  Either way it will happen.

So the photo shows us happily holding on to the bar of achievement, Kilroy style, as we prepare ourselves for flight. Such is life within DAAO.