Maria Passarelli RGD:

"I'm so proud to be part of an organization that recognizes my professional experience as well as my demonstrated competence in design principles, research and theory. I want to keep challenging myself as a designer and further my education."

Benefits:

• Signal to business and to the public that graphic design is a true profession with defined standards and best practices that you and your professional peers adhere to.
• Your Membership supports RGD's advocacy efforts; our DesignThinker of the Year Program; Design at Work; 

• Receive a profile in the Designer Directory with up to 10 portfolio images and descriptions
• Get Featured on the website and in the RGD Word newsletter
• Submit Case Studies in various areas of specialty

Peter Scott RGD:

"New project pitch encounters with spec work requests are an area where RGD has given us the support to respond strongly and professionally - that we would not participate unless spec components were removed. In many of these cases, the organizations acknowledged and understood our concern and often deleted the spec component.

Benefits:

• Stand up to requests for free work from clients by providing RGD's Spec Policy Statement
• When dealing with ethical issues, , as a government-legislated, professional body.
• Join the Ethics Committee to work on our No Spec initiative & other issues to make a difference in your industry.

Joanna Wiebe RGD:
"I have continued to maintain my membership even though I have been in the US since 2005 because I believe in the concept of accreditation for designers and want to support it. My designation has also been a selling point for me when finding new positions, such as my current role as Senior User Interface Designer at Amazon."

Benefits:

• Use the RGD designation to signal to peers, employers and clients that you have reached the benchmark set out by the Association by passing our Certification Process
• Use the RGD logo across promotional materials and professional platforms like LinkedIn to equate yourself with other Certified professionals such as CAs and APRs.
• Present your RGD Certificate with annual sticker renewal to demonstrate your status as a Certified RGD

Emerald Lee RGD:
"I often refer to the AccessAbility Handbook. In a situation where we were unable to find answers to very specific questions, the RGD team directed us to members who were able to help us. This connection eventually led to great collaboration that quickly resolved the issues at hand. Indeed an excellent example of comradery, even amongst competitors.

Benefits:

• Access relevant, up-to-date resources such as RGD's Accessibility Guidelines, Business Handbook and biannual National Survey
• Connect with and take advantage of expertise from a wide network of creative professionals

Victor Szeto RGD:

"Free access to the webinars, which cover diverse topics, helps me and my colleagues stay actively engaged and up-to-speed with industry insights throughout the year."

Benefits:

• Attend RGD's free webinars which cover a variety of professional development topics, providing opportunities to remain connected to the creative community.
• Access archived presentations which are available for members to view at any time.

Kathleen Scott RGD:

"The regular e-newsletters keep me connected on what was going on in the design industry. Events and seminars geared towards in-house design help me learn about best practices. The RGD job board helped us with our recruiting needs as my team expanded. Entering RGD's awards programs allow me to gauge how the work I produce compares to others in the industry. These things all seem small at the time, but they have added up to a successful, award-winning in-house design department that now has three full-time designers. Without the support of RGD, this all would have been so much harder."

Benefits:

• Free Subscriptions to Applied Arts & Fast Company Magazines
• Unlimited Job Postings on RGD's Job Board
• Discounts to Designers + Drinks and other local events
• Invitations to present webinars and at events; participate in portfolio reviews other programs & serve on Committees to meet fellow Members
• An automatic invite to join RGD's Slack Workspace, where you can connect, ask questions and generate discussions with fellow Members.

Michael Young RGD:
Helping the next generation of designers is really important to me as a professional. Not long after becoming an RGD, I volunteered to evaluate student portfolios at an event. I remember being just as nervous as the students. I had watched an RGD webinar about how to give a good portfolio review and I took lots of notes and studied them feverishly the night before the event. Despite all my fear and anxiety, the students were really grateful for the advice I gave them and I was blown away by their work and enthusiasm. 

Benefits:

• Become a Mentor as part of RGD's Mentorship Program
• Judge RGD's annual Student Awards
• Participate in RGD portfolio events for emerging designers

Lionel Gadoury RGD:
"The Association provides countless opportunities to connect, contribute and support the design community. I’ve experienced firsthand, on countless occasions, how tremendously rewarding it is to participate with other designers and the accomplished Board of volunteer Directors that guide the Association forward."

• Run for a position on RGD's volunteer Board of Directors
• Contribute to one of many Committees who meet virtually to consider how best to move the Association forward, benefit our members, increase respect for our profession and raise standards in our industry

Jennifer Laing RGD:

"As a sole proprietor I especially value the connection RGD provides to the larger design community. DesignThinkers is a favourite event. Each year, influential speakers from a variety of disciplines remind me to think of design as it relates to all aspects of life and inspire me to consider new possibilities within my creative practice."

Benefits:

• Significant Discounts to attend RGD's two annual DesignThinkers Conference in Toronto (Fall) and Vancouver (Spring).
• Opportunities to participate in special Speed Networking, Roundtable Discussions & Speed Mentoring Sessions at both Conferences.
• Access to recordings of Conference Sessions in the members-only section of RGD's website.
• For the DT Bring-A-Client Program, RGD's can connect with up to 3 clients by inviting them to attend special business-focused session at the Toronto Conference.