david lam

David Lam arrived late to the design game. Over the last seven years, he held sales and marketing roles at various internet companies. It wasn't until he arrived at Yahoo! in 2004 that Lam developed into a creative professional. "Looking back, I guess I always had a creative side," said Lam. "Even when I was managing Fortune 1000 clients like Starbucks, I would use information design as a way to communicate their campaign performance to them." As the Yahoo!'s creative manager, Lam helped to reshape and redesign the sales marketing program of the company's HotJobs business unit, and his technique quickly flourished. "I owe a great deal of my growth as a creative professional to my colleagues at Yahoo!," said Lam. "In particular, the support and guidance of Erin Brockman and Leanne Bach, two directors of the organization, have meant a lot to me." Lam received a 2007 American Inhouse Design Award from GDUSA for his work on a Yahoo! corporate identity project. When not at Yahoo!, Lam runs his own production company, Gare du Nord Pictures. He recently fulfilled a lifelong dream of directing films with ATHLETE, a documentary about everyday Americans who are redefining what it means to be an athlete. Lam is currently in post production with the film and hopes to submit it to a major festival by year's end. Last July, ATHLETE was featured on Plum TV's hit show DocStock, which profiles "the very best" up-and-coming independent documentaries. "Working on ATHLETE has been an incredible experience," said Lam. "It's introduced me to a really amazing and inspiring group of individuals who I would not have met otherwise."

Is graphic design a growth industry? Yes, for two reasons. First, from sub-$2,000 HD cameras to inexpensive programs that allow users to build Flash sites, edit video and design posters, technology is constantly improving and becoming more affordable. Second, there are more and more effective and inexpensive ways to promote your work online, from blogs to social networks to video- and photo-sharing sites. Combined, these two factors offer creatives a great opportunity to produce quality work and reach a large audience.

Do graphic designers have a special responsibility to promote a green society? Everyone has a responsibility to help make our society greener. Creative professionals can contribute to these efforts by relying more on digital workflow.

ONE THING I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IS an internet connection

FAVORITE MOVIES

Heat
Panic Room
Pan's Labyrinth

FAVORITE BOOKS

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong and Sally Jenkins

FAVORITE SONGS

"Narc" by Interpol
"Holding Back the Years" by Simply Red
"Corazón Partío (Unplugged)" by Alejandro Sanz

FAVORITE FINE ARTISTS

Jeff Koons
Philippe Stark
Rem Koolhaas

FAVORITE TV SHOWS

Anything with Chef Gordon Ramsay
Extras
Saturday Night Live

BOOKMARKED WEBSITES

yahoo.com
flickr.com
indiewire.com
moby.com/journal
mpawards.com
apple.com/trailers
deadlinehollywooddaily.com
rottentomatoes.com
hypebeast.com