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In New Zealand, you know you’ve made it
when someone commissions an Ant
Sang (Bro’ Town) illustration of you. From Idealog,
March–April 2007. The outfit is based on something I had in 2001,
and the mannequin supposedly shows I am involved in the fashion industry—at
least I’m not wearing the dress. More
here. |
The last time I rewrote this home page was in September 2009, when I
announced my campaign for Mayor of Wellington. I seem to rewrite it once
every three years.
While my bid was unsuccessful, this site—which
complemented a separate, similar-looking
one that was built for the campaign—proved to be a way of highlighting
some of the things I believed in.
I was very proud of what we accomplished on the campaign.
We got very important things on the agenda, such as job creation and the
development of Wellington’s arts and creative sector. And to get
12 per cent of the vote—six times more than the lowest that the local
newspaper predicted in its polls—was a vindication of some of the
theories that I’ve espoused about engagement and transparency over
the years in my work.
We also managed to get a third of the number of the
eventual winner while spending a tenth of the money, thanks to the lateral
thinking of my team.
This website covers a lot of my work and, in time, I’ll
upload some of my political notes, too. My agenda,
some of my writings and speeches, some of my
press coverage, and my long-running
blog are all at this domain, under
each of the headings above. You can also find out more about my company—approaching
its quarter-century—at Jack Yan &
Associates’ website.
As to local politics, of course I have a passion for
it. In the years to follow, I’m going to continue listening to my
fellow Wellingtonians. Post-election, I find I’m still spending six
hours a week on political matters. I do have a passion for it, so please
continue letting me know your thoughts, hopes and dreams, and let’s
continue to build a Wellington that we all love.
My world is not just Wellington, of course. We may be
on an island nation but we do not live in a vacuum. In the last 23 years
in business, I like to think I’ve consistently been ahead—and
that’s through connecting to the rest of the world.
In 1987 I started a virtual company. I designed typefaces
and turned them into digital fonts at a time when New Zealand wasn’t
seen as a type-producing nation. I started web publishing in the early
1990s. I was talking about the need to look after the environment early
this century—and remember all the puzzled looks I would get when
I spoke about carbon neutrality. None of that would have been possible
if I wasn’t looking widely and constantly learning, and being inspired
by each and every one of you.
Strength comes through dialogue, so, let’s keep
conversing and engaging. There’s a feedback
form here—I’m happy to hear from you.
Jack Yan
Wellington, New Zealand
January 2011
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