Benefits of Membership: The Bigger Picture

When it comes to AIGA membership, I hear about cost vs. benefit a lot. Many of those who are debating this are focusing on what they, as an individual, are getting out of the membership. There are many benefits for individual members. There’s the discounts from Adobe and FedEx. There’s the local chapter community events and the networking. But AIGA has more to offer.

AIGA offers benefits to its members as practicers of the profession. When AIGA leads an initiative, it improves the value of profession, and that benefits all designers. AIGA also offers benefits to entire communities in which we live. For example, in AIGA’s Communique Volume 8 Issue 5, the following section can be found:

Design for Democracy educates 125 election officials on ballot design

In April, representatives from AIGA Design for Democracy were the featured speakers at an Election Center workshop, where they presented ballot and election design reform to 125 local election officials from across the country. The presenters shared design samples and best practices for paper and electronic ballots and polling place signage, developed by AIGA which were based on nationwide research and endorsed by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. They also unveiled a new collection of Election Design top ten guidelines that applies to all voter materials. These tools enable election officials and local designers to create materials that are clear and easy to use.

Next time you’re having the discussion about membership, be it with a colleague or with a renewal notice, don’t forget to think about how your membership has enabled this and many other important initiatives to improve the lives of designers and those in the communities around us.

-Michael Niggel