ADS Design School: Clarification - I do not work with them any longer

This last week a number of people approached me and said, "You're famous! We saw your picture in the newspaper!" And I can tell you exactly how that happened. A few months ago a start-up design school approached me and wanted to use my picture and CV to promote their business. I was in advertising and editorial content for them. The position was titled "Program Director" but I looked at their info and saw that they had already written an entire curriculum with course descriptions, prices and promises they would get students into the US in a 4-year university program. In all reality, they had nothing but a designy-looking empty office. But I liked that better than any ugly school I had seen thus far, and the idea of building something - but I also realized that I would have nothing to do with their "program direction" at all.

Their direction was simply to enter a market that Raffles already owned and charge the same price, with none of the props or experience or big office building. And so my job, as I evaluated it, was to provide the "street cred" to the school. And in that sense only, I thought I could help. At least I'm a real body with real experience.

And so I made a contract with them to use my image and CV to promote the school. We also made an agreement for me to consult on their business and help them develop an American university preparatory courses in Vietnam. But the consulting part of the idea never happened. They only wanted my face to get attention. And so they did.

ADS Design School, as I understand, has now aligned with a school in the US that could only be described as a ravenously expensive trade school that will bypass any real university qualification standards to get Asian kids into an American school - if you've got the cash. At $26,000 for two semesters, you might better consider Harvard - that is if you can speak English and pass the entrance exam.

I initially liked the ADS school, because I thought they truly loved design and communications - but we never came to a good working agreement on how to teach that. They seemed to be thinking $$$ and I seemed to be thinking about, oh dear, good ideas and world class design.

And so, I simply don't work with them anymore.

ADS Design School, Saigon - Rubbish?

Welcome ADS. Probably the first real Advertising and Design school in Vietnam. And thank them for asking me to help.

As I understand, ADS found me from LinkedIn and approached me to be their Program Director, based on my professional background and award winning history.

Rubbish.


What matters most? Can I teach their students to think? In the end my personal background and experience won't mean a thing if I can't instill questioning, critical thinking and an extreme aversion to all things tried and true and lacking in originality. What matters most about my background is not the companies I worked for, but the work I did at those companies compared to the standard product they were turning out. And in the end, a school promising to make a difference and bring an international standard to design and advertising education in Vietnam won't mean a thing unless they can turn out graduates who can compete on an international level and challenge the status quo. And in this country, that's a tall order. Being different or original is not valued half as much as being the same or being wealthy. Can the values of creativity and originality really be taught over the prevailing values that money and status conquer all? And did the school buy my name and international history as a logo on a polo shirt or did they buy a concept that an international education is broader, more liberal and more adaptive to change than one steeped in conservative rhetoric? Only time will tell.

Should you have questions about the school either as a student or faculty, please let me know.

I am no longer associated with ADS Design School. Please click here for notice.