AIGA

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AIGA logo

AIGA (formerly an acronym for the "American Institute of Graphic Arts") is an American professional organization for design. Organized in 1914, AIGA now claims over 16,000 members throughout 56 chapters nationwide. Its activities include 365: AIGA Year in Design and 50 Books/50 Covers. The organization's tagline is "the professional association for design", which is often used immediately after the AIGA name in its own publications.

1 Historical background
2 Naming confusion and criticism
3 Member and public services
4 References
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Historical background

At the National Arts Club, 119 East 19 Street New York City, 40 people met and passed a resolution authorizing a committee to draft a constitution and bylaws for a new organization named (at the suggestion of Charles DeKay) the American Institute of Graphic Arts and established "as a source of pleasure and intellectual profit" to its members. William H. Howland, publisher and editor of The Outlook, was elected president.

The mission statement was last modified in 2000:

“

AIGA's purpose is to further excellence in design as a broadly defined discipline, strategic tool for business and cultural force. AIGA is a professional association committed to stimulating thinking about design through the exchange of ideas and information, the encouragement of critical analysis and research and the advancement of education and ethical practice.

”

[edit] Naming confusion and criticism

In 2006, The American Institute of Graphic Arts changed its name, retaining the colloquial AIGA, and adopting the descriptor line "the professional association for design." This was done to expand the groups focus from exclusively graphic design and to encompass allied design fields. The new descriptor has been criticized for potential confusion with the similarly named Association of Professional Design Firms (APDF). The name change has caused confusion within the organizations's membership, the design community and media. Véronique Vienne in the March/April 2007 edition of the American design periodical Print criticized the name change for reducing rather than extending understanding of the profession. The article quotes Marc Globé, author of Emotional Branding, "The AIGA missed an opportunity to make a strong statement," "replacing the authoritative 'American Institute' with the banal 'Professional Association.'^[1] Ina Saltz, the author of Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh, stated "it was more about them (AIGA management) than about us (membership)." She continues "they are leaving us with an awkward compromise: a logo that no longer means anything."

[edit] Member and public services

Membership in AIGA is currently $295 for professionals and $75 for students (the student need not be a graphic design major). AIGA and its local chapters provide services to their members, often in the form of job banks, member directories, discounts on products and services, conferences, workshop and demonstrations (often done in collaboration with firms such as Apple and Adobe Systems), lectures, and exhibitions.

Since 1974, the organization has partnered with the U.S. Federal Highway Administration in the development and review of its DOT pictograms.