Affiliation in the design profession

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Graphic design industry veteran, David Hyde, publicly questionned the use of his Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) membership — prompting insightful debate through his blog post comments.

David went on to document his subsequent resignation from the CSD after 30+ years as a member:

“…my concern was that my subscription over the past few years was simply allowing the Society to exist: nothing more, nor less, than that.

“…fast forward to yesterday evening, when I attended the 33rd Annual General Meeting. I thought this might be the opportunity to re-engage, and to raise my concern in an open debate with those members who govern and take an active interest. And, do you know what? I might just as well have stood up and announced ‘the King is in the altogether.’ This isn’t what the Society wants to hear, apparently, and I was called to be ‘out of order’ several times.

“…now I must resign, not because I’m getting nothing in return for my subscription, but because the governing Council has made crystal clear that it doesn’t want dissent. And it doesn’t want to hear uncomfortable truths. As such, I represent an impediment to the aims and aspirations for its hoped-for flourishing future. In short, it doesn’t need members like me.”
— David Hyde

Cat, from Designers who Blog, advises that you get out of it what you put in, so if you don’t go to meetings, or become involved with other members, paying the fee is pretty much useless.

I’m not as familiar as I should be with design associations, so I’m hoping this post creates some chat around their qualities and shortcomings.

Why are there so many different design organisations catering to the same regions? Can’t they pool their resources for the greater design good? If I was to join one, how do I choose?


Comments

19 responses to “Affiliation in the design profession”

  1. Similarly, web design associations are usually not much more than a paid directory listing. At those kind of prices, I can see how it would put a smaller business off – and I expect that most design businesses are smaller, so the associations are missing out there.

  2. Ontario, Canada has the RGD (www.rgdontario.com)

    They fight spec work, they publish booklets on the high, low and average salary for various job titles in various parts of the province. They’re especially helpful to designers just starting out.

    I often consider joining. The truth is I benefit from their good regardless (here I have their ‘salary & billing practice’ booklet – I went to a local meeting of designers and there were stacks) But the added benefit would be I can add “RGD” to the end of my name. (after a few years of being ‘Prov. RGD’ while I’m not a full member) It really makes you look professional…

  3. (whoops – RDG is all of canada, I just see the Ontario work most often.)

  4. I certainly agree with Cat that “you get out of it what you put in to it”. I think some of the memberships probably are worth the money, although the Annual membership fee of £1040 + VAT for The Design Business Association (DBA) seems pretty steep but if you have the available time for the courses and funds then maybe it’s worth it.

    I really quite like D&AD and have been considering their membership but I am not sure I will make many of the events they hold so don’t really know if it would be worth joining or not.

    I think if you have the spare cash and the time plus the passion for design events then joining one or two would perhaps be most worthwhile but don’t join them all that’s just crazy!

  5. Hi David,

    AIGA has been a good resource for managing projects and understanding the “business side of design.” They publish a series of documents on contracts & agreeements, writing proposals and pricing. They also publish the annual survey of design salaries, which is useful.

    I also feel like they do a nice job of spotlighting good work and connecting people through workshops, events and print material.

  6. Wow I thought psychotherapists had a lot of associations to choose from! Seems we’re not the only ones spoilt for choice. 🙂

  7. As Cat said, if you don’t go to meetings and such it’s really sort of useless. So I guess the way to figure out which one is right for you would be to decide which one you would be most likely (or able) to be involved with the most.

  8. My 15 year membership of the Chartered Society of Designers was the most pointless waste of money ever. I left about 10 years ago and don’t regret it in the slightest. I think it’s partly to do with the fact that organisations like the CSD are attempting to ape the professional bodies of other professions. You might say that you want a Chartered Accountant or a lawyer that’s a member of the Law Society, but quite frankly which of your clients has ever given a damn about whether you’re a member of a professional body? If they all combined their size might be able to make some impact in informing potential clients about the superior service they might receive from a ‘chartered’ designer. But let’s face it anyone can claim to be a designer and many talented people without any formal training have done so, so really this kind of organisation for designers is probably rather silly.

  9. I think any organisation that tries to help designers and illustrators by helping setting standards and such etc should be applauded.

    However there does seem to be too many if there was just one “umbrella” organisation, I think that would be more beneficial.

    Also membership fees seem to be a bit pricey.

    Great post, something a bit different than the usual “10 best things” etc you find on alot of blogs.

  10. I am not sure if this qualifies as affiliation but I am a member of NAPP – National Association of Photoshop Professionals. I was invited for a free years membership, and I am trialling their service at the moment.

    NAPP costs USD$99 a year and you get a lot with it (as long as you make the most of it):

    * Where everyone learns Photoshop
    * You get Photoshop User magazine
    * Members-only online community
    * Discounts on just about everything
    * Online portfolio
    * Photoshop tech support
    * Photoshop World is your convention

    Although in saying this, I truthfully haven’t really used any of these services except the Photoshop User magazine but you have to read it online (or download to your desktop). But $99 for a yearly magazine subscription is pretty fair, let alone the other services they offer.

    The most respected association in Australia is AGDA and their modest member fee is $220 ($45 for students) and their SOP is:

    AGDA is uniquely placed to assist you in your development as a professional. AGDA is an association for designers who want to take control of their careers and businesses.

    But like as others have mentioned, what you put in, is what you get out. Personally I’ll keep my cash – for now.

  11. A timely post for me as I’m looking at networking opportunities right now.

    The CSD sounds like it has become a stagnant organisation and merely some letters to add to stationary. I’ve never had a client that even knew about a Chartered Society for Designers! I guess we don’t have as bad a rep as some other professions (builders, mechanics, etc.) where people will check their associations.

    I was a member of D&AD over the last 12 months, taking great advantage of the discounts and enjoying the publications, but never making it to any talks or events. That was mainly due to timing and location though. I’ll be picking up the membership again, no problem.

  12. Richard,

    I can picture there being a lot more ruthlessness in the web arena, given its prevalence online.

    Marc,

    Great to know you gain a benefit from RDG, even though you’ve not actually joined. They must be doing a good job.

    Matthew (firebubble),

    Yes, the DBA does seem steep, but I’m looking into what they offer above and beyond the others. It’s probably more appropriate for larger design firms than small one-man shows like mine.

    Jeff,

    Interesting point about AIGA and the annual design salaries report. I’ve known quite a few other designers to hold it in high regard, even though I’ve yet to read it.

    Mark,

    We may both be spoilt for choice, but as a psychotherapist, your increased sense of well-being leaves you in a much better frame of mind for making a decision.

    George,

    That’s great advice — choosing the organisation you’re most likely to attend the meetings of. There’s the Institute of Designers in Ireland, so I’ll look into it.

    Julie,

    Thanks for leaving your thoughts about the CSD. You back up what David had to say about his recent resignation.

    Mark,

    Here’s hoping a form of umbrella organisation isn’t far off.

    Jacob,

    That’s something I’m curious about, why would the NAPP call themselves a national association, when they accept international members? Do they get specific funding for operating in the US, then accept international members for the extra income? I don’t presume you have the answer, just thought I’d throw a few thoughts out there.

    And ‘discounts on just about everything’? You should’ve told me before I just splashed out on my new car.

    Steve O,

    I think stagnant’s a good descriptive term, from my brief introduction anyhow. Thanks for your take on D&AD membership. Personal recommendations hold a lot of weight.

  13. That is interesting about the international aspect, I never thought about that.

    Yeah I could have saved on my flights too… didn’t I read somewhere that your car got smashed? Didn’t you get an insurance payout for that?

  14. Hi David,

    Thanks for the article (and everyone’s comments) – it’s always good to understand how designers view the organisations that are representing them…or claiming that they do!

    One small correction, though: The Design Council [disclaimer: I work for them] isn’t a trade body for designers.

    From our “What we do” page:

    What is the Design Council?

    We are the national strategic body for design.

    What does that mean?

    We believe design can help people to do what they do, better. We’re funded by the UK government, and we promote the use of design throughout the UK’s businesses and public services. We demonstrate that design can play a vital role in strengthening our economy and improving our society.
    Why does the Design Council exist?

    We have a goal – to help UK managers become the best users of design in the world, supported by the most skilled and capable design professionals.

    Hope that clears things up a little bit!

    Cheers,

    Adi

  15. That’s right, Jacob. Some idiot Midlum driver wrote my car off one morning, but I’ve since been compensated, and bought a new car. Thankful I wasn’t hurt more.

    Adi,

    Thanks very much for the clarification. I’ve since removed the Design Council from this post, and appreciate you taking the time.

  16. Blair Thomson Avatar
    Blair Thomson

    Hey Dave mate….

    The DBA events are almost always available to non-members at a slightly higher cost. Unless you’re going to all of them then its far more cost effective to pay the premium and save yourself a few bob by avoiding the membership fee.

    Another worth a mention: Typographic Circle

  17. I’m still relatively new to the design side of things as my background is client side. One thing I can say with confidence then, is that most clients are not aware of the majority (if any) of the above organisations, and would need to be educated as to the benefits of them.

    Historically, we would choose an agency or designer based on the quality of their work, their understanding of our business, and (to a point) their personality (i.e. are they easy to get on with!).

    I’m not questioning the value of the above organisations, but simply agreeing with other commenters that it probably doesn’t influence the client’s decision very much.

  18. Perhaps slightly tangential, but designers should not just consider design associations when it comes to useful membership opportunities. I’m not a member of any design bodies at this time, but I am a member of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which is one of the UK’s largest, if not THE largest, lobbying groups for SMEs. The FSB is big enough that it can have a real effect upon policy; as an example, just recently their lobbying was instrumental in securing government legislation that would make funding available to small and medium sized businesses during the current credit-starved period. The FSB’s purchasing power means that they can offer a variety of business services to members at highly discounted rates. My membership gets me preferential rates on banking, insurance, internet connections, telecoms, private health insurance, debt collection services, free legal advice… the list goes on. Also, there are plenty of networking opportunities where I might meet people who AREN’T DESIGNERS — ie. people who might give me work rather than my peers and, hence, competitors.

    Are there design competitions that I can enter? No.
    Would I choose the FSB over a design-specific body if I could only join one organisation? You bet.

    Oh, membership is 100 quid a year and, no, I have no affiliation with them beyond basic membership.

  19. Rick,

    That’s a very relevant comment, and I’m glad you took the time to leave your thoughts. Thanks very much.

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