AIGA STRATEGIC PLANNING INTRODUCTION 2015 2020

In 2014, AIGA celebrates its 100

year history and looks forward to its
PLAN evolution as the nations premiere
FOR professional organization for design. SHORT-TERM MID-TERM LONG-TERM
AIGA After several years of research and
2015 & 2016 2017 & 2018 2019 & 2020
2020 conversations to better understand
the needs of both members and
chapters as well as the emerging
landscape of design and culture in
the 21st century, AIGA developed
a vision for the next five years.
AIGA 2020 is a bold and ambitious AIGA operations have been suc-
proposal for organizational trans- cessfully relocated to another build-
formation, from a club to a huba ing in New York City.
dynamic platform to fully engage
the potential of its 25,000 members Endowment established and the
and extensive nationwide network first new initiatives using AIGA 2020
of chapters. Funds have been launched.

The catalyst for advancing the stra- Development of a new member

tegic direction of the organization is participation platform is underway,
the creation of a $17 million en- that will transform aiga.org.
dowment that will for the first time
help secure the long term financial The national design conference will
stability of AIGA. It also sets aside be held in New Orleans, celebrating
$3 million into an AIGA 2020 Fund design excellence, social relevance,
to strategically invest in important and cultural and business impact.
new resources and activities over
the next five years to help achieve The Chapter Innovation Fund de-
the AIGA 2020 vision, including a $1 fines its criteria and seeds its first
million Chapter Innovation Fund. proposals and shares those learn-
ings with members and chapters.
This document lays out that vision
but it also establishes an on-going A search for the next generation of
review process for the organizations AIGA leadership.
proposed and existing activities that
is integrated into its annual budget-
ing process. This combination of
opportunity and due diligence will
ensure that AIGA emerges as the
worlds largest, most ambitous, and
financially endowed design organi-
zation.
AIGA MISSION AND VISION 2015 2020
AIGAs strategic plans focus on
transforming AIGA into an agile,
adaptive national organization that
offers support and opportunity to
members and chapters.
The strategic plan focuses on the
period 2015-2020, categorizing the
professions objectives in four areas:
those that advance design; design-
ers; members and chapters; and
organizational viability.
AIGA will use the strategic frame-
work as a means of guiding its
activities at the national level,
depending largely on encouraging
member and chapter engagement.
In addition, members and chapters
will set many of their own priorities
for this period. In only a few cases
will national resources permit fund-
ing the achievement of an objective
completely; the strength of AIGA
is in seeding activities that become
sustained by its 25,000 members
individually, as self-forming groups
or as chapters.
Similarly, resources are never suf-
ficient to advance systematically and
comprehensively on all objectives at
once. AIGA will proceed on those
activities which are most promising
at any given time, reflect interest
among members who will advance
the objective, or for which funding
is available.
The annual process by which the
board will review, prioritize, and
budget for activities is documented
in a flow chart and accompanying
narrative.
A THE
VISION
FOR
AIGA
AIGA brings design to the world,
and the world to designers.
As the professions largest commu-
nity, we advance design as a profes-
sional craft, strategic advantage and
vital cultural force.
From content that defines the glob-
al practice to events that connect
and catalyze, we work to enhance
the value and deepen the impact of
design on business, society and our
collective future.
MISSION
OF
AIGA
AIGA advances design as a profes-
sional craft, strategic advantage and
vital cultural force.
Broadly speaking, AIGA consists
As the largest community of design
advocates, we bring together prac-
titioners, enthusiasts and patrons to
amplify the voice of design and cre-
ate the vision for a collective future.
We define global standards and
ethical practices, guide design
education, inspire designers and the
public, enhance professional devel-
opment, and make powerful tools
and resources accessible to all.
WHO
AIGA
IS
AIGA is a global community of de-
sign advocates and practitioners.
practitioners, enthusiasts and pa-
of a relationship among designers
based on community, beliefs, learn-
ing and voice.
WHAT
AIGA
DOES
AIGA advances design as a profes-
sional craft, strategic advantage and
vital cultural force by connecting
trons through regional, national and
global events and by creating and
curating content that:
1. Inspires designers and the public
by celebrating great design
2. Advocates for a greater under-
standing of the value of designers
and design in government, busi-
ness, media and the public
3. Enhances professional develop-
ment through the arc of a designers
career
4. Defines global standards and
ethical practices
5. Supports design education
6. Makes powerful tools and re-
sources about design available and
accessible
7. Mobilizes a global design move-
ment
8. Convenes thoughtful discussion
of issues important to design
AIGA STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK 2015 2020
FOCUS
AIGA brings design to the world, ON
and the world to designers. As the
professions largest community, we DESIGN
advance design as a professional
craft, strategic advantage and vital
cultural force.
1. Inspire designers and the
public by celebrating design
excellence (national design
conference, celebratedesign.org,
AIGA100, Design Envy, Justified
competition, guest exhibitions,
medalists, fellows, gala, videos,
archives)
2. Establish AIGA as a respected,
authoritative voice in matters of
design (advocacy)
3. Promote the strategic value
of design thinking to designers,
businesses, and the public
4. Stimulate dialogue on impor-
tant design issues (Gain business
conference)
5. Represent interests of U.S.
designers in business practice,
laws, civic experience and public
perception (advocacy)
6. Promote the social impact and
social value of design to design-
ers, businesses, and the public
(Design for Good)
FOCUS
ON
DESIGNERS
1. Offer opportunities for profes-
sional development and mentor-
ing at each stage of a designers
career (Business Perspectives
for Creative Leaders, facilitation
workshops, continuing ed, webi-
nars, Womens Leadership initia-
tive)
2. Offer powerful tools and ac-
cessible resources for profession-
al development (salary survey,
design jobs board, career guide,
Studio of 2015)
3. Define and advocate global
standards, ethical practices and
criteria for responsible design
(Living Principles for Design, De-
sign Business and Ethics series)
4. Establish criteria for design
education that meet the needs
of the profession (Design Educa-
tors Community)
5. Encourage diverse design
approaches and new emerging
practices (AIGA INititaive)
6. Increase ethnic and cultural
diversity of the profession
(DesignEd K12, Worldstudio
AIGA Scholarships)
FOCUS ON
MEMBERS AND
CHAPTERS
1. Offer effective tools, resourc-
es, platforms and strategies to
enhance chapter activities and
facilitate member participation
(chapter development, Chapter
Advisory Council, chapter dues
subvention)
2. Support and facilitate inter-
actions, collaborations and learn-
ings among chapters (Chapter
Leadership Retreat)
3. Grow membership and associ-
ated revenue through broaden-
ing and deepening strategies
(membership development,
technology hosting, and devel-
opment fees)
4. Integrate the AIGA community
into the global community of
designers
FOCUS ON
ORGANIZATION
VIABILITY
1. Manage a lean, well-trained
and equipped staff to work effic-
ciently and effectively in support-
ing prioritized member interests
2. Ensure that organizational
resources (staff and budget)
reflect and support key priorities
3. Establish an endowment that
will help fund the organization
in perpetuity
4. Ensure effective and trans-
parent communications among
board, staff, chapters and
members
5. Routinely review and report on
the efficacy of key programs and
initiatives to the board
6. Create sufficient operational
reserves to help weather eco-
nomic downturns
7. Maximize earned and con-
tributed revenue opportunities
through fees, licensing, sponsor-
ship, planned gifts, and founda-
tion and government grants, etc.
AIGA 2020 VISION STATEMENT
There will be a global brand based on
AIGAs legacy, scale, and leadership in
developing and promoting the design
WHAT WILL profession.
AIGA LOOK
The immediate AIGA experience will be at
LIKE IN 2020?
the individual member level, among self-
organizing communities of members and
at the chapter level.
The national presence will develop and
promote common principles and pro-
grams that strengthen the relevance, lead-
DESIGN
ership and opportunity for every member
and will develop systems that support all
chapters.
Membership will grow to include emerg-
ing design practices and through expand-
DESIGNERS
ing the number of chapters. The chapter
network will be stregthened from the
bottom-up.
AIGA will be the standard-bearer for pro-
MEMBERS fessionalism in design practice and will be
CHAPTERS a respected voice in celebrating the value
of design worldwide.
AIGA will focus more on facilitating op-
portunities for member engagement,
ORG. member-originated content, member
VIABILITY involvement and the expression of per-
sonal opinion than on reinforcing a central
authority on design, professionalism and
values.
AIGA will offer daily online examples of
design excellence, with opportunities for
member input as well as expert jury opin-
ion. Design excellence will be defined by
criteria of aesthetics, creation of value for
clients and social responsibility. National
efforts to bring attention to extraordinary
effective design will be based on new
models for competitions and/or curatorial
selections, always respecting opportuni-
ties for stimulating discussion among all
members.
AIGA will develop programs and activi-
ties that highlight opportunities for so-
cial responsibility, social engagement,
sustainability, multiculturalism and diver-
sity. These are critical to the long-term
strength and relevance of the profession
and AIGA.
In content, AIGA programs will reflect
designs creativity, originality and inspira-
tion and also business practices, leader-
ship, values, ethics and standards. In tone,
AIGA activities will reflect the ages, expe-
rience levels and interests of members, in
all their diversity and differences.
In advocating designs value to business,
AIGA will focus on the results of design
strategy as a competitive advantage at the
national level, developing case studies of
business effectiveness and defining the
value of design on business objectives. At
the same time, AIGA will encourage activi-
ties that celebrate designs virtuosity and
inspiring creativity with activities at the
chapter and member level.
AIGA will place a higher priority on con-
tributing to long-term benefits for the pro-
fession, such as building stronger demand
for design in the future, and less emphasis
on tangible individual member benefits.
Members will have ample opportunities to
engage in networking activities, to create
content and make connections. Oppor-
tunities will be online and in person; the
AIGA experience will be defined from the Although members will receive a limited
bottom up rather than top down. number of signature print pieces each
year, AIGA will distribute content primarily
The model for conferences will involve in digital form, for reasons of sustainabil-
more regional and local gatherings, with ity, economics and reach.
resources invested primarily in the devel-
opment and distribution of digital video Designers will become involved with AIGA
programming. More content will be avail- to assume a role in the broader business,
able on the website, with particular atten- social and cultural environments, in the
tion paid to where the line is drawn for U.S. and abroad.
access by nonmembers.
AIGA will develop collaborative rela-
AIGA conferences, webcasts and work- tionships with organizations outside the
shops will focus on helping the design design field, to expand appreciation of the
profession think through the future and value of design and to seek a leadership
the complexity of context in a constantly position for its members in international
changing world. Like the Aspen Institute, design forums and among social entrepre-
it will focus on the big issues. AIGA will neurs.
become an issues manager, and an editor
and aggregator of content. AIGAs mantra will be Head, Heart and
Hand, reflecting interrelated elements
Non-dues revenue will increase because of strategy, social impact and the craft of
of the line drawn between member and design.
nonmember access to web content and
event discounts. A broader membership
will help AIGA attract greater sponsorship
and advertising opportunities.
Members will have access to a strong core
of national programs for professional de-
velopment, particularly for midcareer de-
signers to develop leadership skills. AIGA
will help to guide students from school
to studio with programs and information
to prepare them for a productive profes-
sional experience.
With its educator members, AIGA will
lead the national discussion of design
education and curriculum development
as a progressive voice in national design
education forums, and incorporate design
curriculum into general education.