1. Spread from DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?, A 170-page book exploring the subject of parking structures and how to transform them from bare, monotonous, and often disorienting spaces into places that are more functional and memorable; 2–3 These spreads feature a study of memory devices and what makes certain information resonate in people’s minds; 4–5 These spreads apply the idea into an actual environment of a parking level. Overall, this project was an attempt to intervene in the cyclical, repetitive nature associated with an everyday site.
Victoria Lam was formally introduced to design at L.A. talent
agency ICM, where her boss managed Mike Mills and some of
the other designer/directors at then-powerhouse production company
Propaganda. Soon after, she slipped into CalArts’ MFA program,
where two of her instructors took a shine to her: Sean Adams
of AdamsMorioka hired her for an internship and to work on their
Color Design Workbook; Lorraine Wild then hired her full-time at
her Green Dragon Office.
At the same time, Lam’s thesis was finding its way into design
annuals. Dude, Where’s My Car?, an exploration of parking garages
and the memory devices that often fail within them, serves as
a beautiful survey of such spaces, but also as a legitimate study
on retaining knowledge. Such an approach sums up her fascination
with design. “I’m interested in people who take things in
the everyday that you overlook and make them useful,” she says.
Designing books with Wild indeed serves the useful purpose of
continuing education; Lam has worked on the recent bestseller
Looking at Los Angeles and a variety of exhibition catalogs for Los
Angeles museums.
A summer in Holland opened Lam’s eyes to her cultural responsibility
as a designer. “I’d love it if designers here had that kind of
regard for design, then they’d be seen as more valuable,” she says.
“If that perception were heightened, it would filter down to designers
getting paid more.” Her dedication to realizing such possibilities,
paired with a sharp business sense and an articulate, collegial
attitude, makes Lam an asset to the practice. “Doing good work is a
point of entry,” says Adams. “Victoria has this amazing personality
that allows her to work well with anyone.”
Alissa Walker
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