Become a Member | FAQs

The benefits of IDSA are many—both tangible and intangible. Many designers have even said that they’ve gotten nearly every job they’ve ever had because of a connection they made through their IDSA membership.

People join an association for two reasons: For what they can get from the association and secondly for what they can give back to their profession. If you are joining to give back and contribute to the growth of the profession, you won't need to read on, just join now. If you want to know what you can get out of IDSA membership, keep reading.

What you will see below is the logical, tangible benefits of membership. If however (as is the case for most designers!) logic is not your way of thinking, then go to the bottom, download the latest IDSA membership brochure below and ask yourself why you would not want the chance to meet and work with the group of highly successful individuals who make up the top layer of IDSA membership. Actually, just ask why they find membership worthwhile and you don't. Perhaps you are not looking at it the same way?

• What are the major categories of membership?
• What are the member titles?
• Can anyone join IDSA, or do you have to be a designer? Do I need to be approved?
• What’s the difference between being a student member and being a professional member?
• I just graduated. Do I have to pay full membership dues? What’s the difference in membership benefits?
• I’m not a designer, but my company sells to industrial designers. Can I be a member?
• Can my company join? Is there a group discount?
• Are IDSA dues tax deductible?
• Do I have to belong to a chapter? What if I’m not near a chapter? What if I move?
• Can I attend events held by other chapters?
• What are Sections and how do I join them?
• How much does membership cost? Can I pay my dues in installments?
• Do educators receive the same membership benefits as consultants or corporate designers?
• What is the Design Foundation?
• What are the benefits of IDSA membership?

What are the major categories of membership?

For the purposes of the member-get-a-member challenge, the major categories of membership are Professional Member, International Member, Affiliate Member and Individual Student Member.

• Professional Membership is available to any citizen or resident of North America who has at least an undergraduate degree in industrial design or a related design discipline, and/or appropriate professional experience, and whose primary professional responsibility as a practitioner or educator is the industrial design of products, instruments, equipment, packages, transportation, environments, information systems or related design services.
• International Membership is available to any designer who is neither a citizen nor a resident in North America.
• Life Membership is available to any individual retired from active design practice who has been a Professional member of IDSA for at least 10 consecutive preceding years.
• Affiliate Membership is available to any individual not eligible for other forms of membership (e.g., vendors serving the design industry, non-designers working for design firms or corporations, etc.).
• Individual Student Membership is available to students attending any college or university in North America.

Can anyone join IDSA, or do you have to be a designer? Do I need to be approved?

Anyone can join IDSA, but only designers meeting the requirements are eligible for the Professional and International categories of membership. Acceptance as a professional, international or student member requires approval.

What’s the difference between being a student member and being a professional member?

Student members cannot vote or run for national office, and they cannot use the IDSA designation after their names. Only members of student chapters may participate in the Student Merit Awards. Individual student members receive all other membership benefits, but student chapter members at individual schools do not.

I just graduated. Do I have to pay full membership dues? What’s the difference in membership benefits?

Recent graduates can take advantage of discounted dues rate for the first five years after graduation. They receive all the same benefits as professional members.The cost is $125 for the first year following graduation and $250 for the second through fifth years.

I’m not a designer, but my company sells to industrial designers. Can I be a member?

Yes, any non-designer may join IDSA as an affiliate member. Affiliate members may not vote or run for chapter or national office.

Can my company join? Is there a group discount?

IDSA memberships are individual, not company-based. There are no group discounts for membership, but companies sending multiple designers to IDSA conferences may be able to take advantage of group discounts on registrations.

Are IDSA dues tax deductible?

IDSA is nonprofit, recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(6) corporation. Contributions to IDSA are not tax-deductible as a charitable contribution. Dues or contributions may be deductible as a business expense. Consult your tax advisor for details.

Do I have to belong to a chapter? What if I’m not near a chapter? What if I move?

All IDSA members in North America belong to a geographic chapter. Designers based outside major metropolitan areas may, of course, have to travel farther to participate in meetings and events. If you relocate to an area served by a different chapter, you can become a part of that chapter or remain a member of your previous chapter. You may also join more than one chapter.

Can I attend events held by other chapters?

Absolutely! As an IDSA member, you can attend any IDSA national, district, chapter or section event and take advantage of member discounts where offered.

What are Sections and how do I join them?

IDSA's Professional Interest Sections are a way for members to network and exchange information on topics of professional interest. Members select sections when they complete a membership application, but can change their selections at any time by notifying IDSA.

Current sections are:

• Communicative Environment
• Consumer Electronics
• Design History
• Design for the Majority
• Design Management
• Design Protection
• Design Research
• Diversity
• Ecodesign
• Furniture
• Housewares
• Materials & Processes
• Medical
• Product Development
• SAGE

How much does membership cost? Can I pay my dues in installments?

IDSA dues for professional, international and affiliate members are $375 per year. Young professional dues are $125 for the first year after graduation and $250 for the second through fifth years following graduation. Student membership dues are $50. Your annual membership dues payment includes subscriptions to the monthly member newsletter and Innovation. Your membership dues payment also includes funding for chapter and section events, to bring greater value to IDSA members. IDSA dues are paid annually and may not be paid in installments.

Do educators receive the same membership benefits as consultants or corporate designers?

Educators who meet the requirements for professional membership in IDSA receive all the same benefits.

What are the benefits of IDSA membership?

All IDSA members receive the following benefits:

• Subscriptions to four valuable IDSA publications: Find information on important design issues in Innovation, the quarterly magazine. Keep up with who is changing companies, what those companies are working on, the latest Society news and search our ID employment ads in the monthly newsletter. Get the latest design news from all corners of the internet with designBytes, the weekly e-newsletter. And, of course, you can plug in to the nerve center of IDSA at www.idsa.org anytime to connect with everything you could possibly need to know about ID. (Student and Educator members also receive studentBytes, a monthly email newsletter which includes information about design competitions, scholarship opportunities and other student chapter news.)
  
  
• Access to health insurance: Through a partnership with Fractured Atlas, a non-profit organization serving a national community of artists and arts organizations, IDSA members in 29 states can now obtain the health insurance coverage that may have proved elusive or difficult to find until now. IDSA members can become associate members of Fractured Atlas for free, and have access to health insurance, liability insurance, press and publicity services, and other benefits. To enroll as a Fractured Atlas member, visit www.fracturedatlas.org/idsa.
  
  
• Member registration discounts: Take advantage of member discounts when registering for IDSA’s national conference, its five regional district conferences and any other Society conference or event.
  
  
• Networking through IDSA’s LinkedIn and Facebook groups: You can get in contact with your design peers, advance your career, get recommendations and more. Once you become an IDSA member you can join one or both groups for free.
  
  
• Discounted subscription to Curve: Published in Australia, Curve is an exclusive design magazine for professional industrial designers and manufacturers developing products. A quarterly publication, Curve features the latest design projects and innovations in design and manufacturing. IDSA members can save $40 on a one- year subscription (25% discount). To take advantage of this special offer, visit:  http://tinyurl.com/curveIDSA
  
  

Additionally, there are benefits more specific to different segments of IDSA’s membership, including:

Young Professionals

• Local IDSA chapter events will make it easier to stay in touch with your friends from design school and not only meet, but work, side-by-side with design managers who can help your career.
• The IDSA network goes beyond just sharing drinks, attending studio tours or calling fellow chapter members for advice. Our Mentor Directory hooks you up with more experienced design professionals who have volunteered to help others.
• IDSA holds five district conferences and a national conference, each of which offers opportunities to have your portfolio reviewed by professionals, build relationships with potential employers and download high-level discussions about design.
• IDSA runs or co-sponsors professional and student competitions which expose the winners to two key audiences: people who may want to work with you and consumers who may want to buy your designs.
• Build your leadership skills—and develop key management skills crucial to your future success—by serving in a volunteer capacity within your local IDSA chapter.
• Network and learn by joining one or more of IDSA’s professional interest sections, which allow members to get specialized information on 21 separate areas of industrial design.

Mid-Career Professional

• Staying up-to-date on the latest technologies, processes and trends is critical in the design field and one reason that so many designers consider membership in IDSA to be indispensable. Online seminars with expert presenters, information-packed conferences and local events are just a few of the resources IDSA provides to keep its members on the cutting-edge.
• Recruiting top-notch designers for your staff is a challenge and IDSA is here to help. The “Career Connections” program at IDSA’s National Conferences is just one excellent recruiting opportunity available for hiring companies.
• Promote your company or yourself to future clients with display panels or booths at IDSA’s National Conference or by purchasing ad space in IDSA’s printed and electronic publications and web site.
• Show what you know: submit a proposal to speak at IDSA’s national conference, be a presenter fo a webinar or contribute content to IDSA’s podcast series, to raise your profile and that of your company.
• Give back to the Society while burnishing your own leadership skills by becoming a candidate for one of IDSA’s national office positions.
• IDSA’s public relations program has a long history of bringing industrial design into the spotlight. IDSA has collaborated with media outlets to promote the value of our profession. In many of those cases, the Society facilitates relationships between the mainstream media and our accomplished members who can best advocate for ID.
• For information on compensation and business metrics for our profession, executives turn to publications like biannual IDSA’s Compensation Study and the Okala Guide, which members receive either free of charge or at a discounted rate.

Senior Professional

• Volunteering with IDSA allows members to keep in touch with old friends while giving back to the profession and helping to cement your own personal design legacy.
• IDSA’s publications help you stay up on the latest strides in the profession and keep you current with promotions and position changes among your former co-workers, students and peers.
• IDSA recognizes outstanding contributions to the profession and the Society with Fellowships and other awards and honors.

Vendors (Affiliate Members)

• IDSA’s print and electronic publications and regularly updated web site list information on chapter, regional and national meetings that are excellent opportunities to get to know potential clients. The online calendar on the IDSA web site lists upcoming events well in advance to help you make time in your busy schedule.
• Affiliate members get regular updates on trade show and sponsorship opportunities that offer excellent visibility. Your customers appreciate your support of the profession and will support you in return!
• One of IDSA’s stated goals is to keep its members up-to-date on the latest innovations in technology. IDSA’s online seminars and regional and national conferences offer workshop and speaking opportunities for vendors to show designers the latest innovations in their products.
• IDSA’s monthly newsletter is a great place to find out who’s being promoted, who’s switching jobs and other information critical to finding the people you need to reach.
• The members-only, searchable online member directory instantly gives you contact information for your target market. Find customers by name, location, company or specialty in a fraction of the time it would have otherwise taken you to track them down.
• IDSA offers advertising opportunities in our publications, on our web site and in various specialty directories for areas such as consumer electronics and housewares.

I'm ready to join!

Still not convinced? If you still don't understand why you should join IDSA and logic is not your thing, then download the membership brochure below.

Did we mention that everyone who has built an important design team in the profession are or have been members in the past half century?

I'm ready to join!

 

File attachments: 

032411_IDSAMembershipBrochure.pdf