Better Know A Media Org: AIGA

We’re kicking off a new series here at MediaJobsDaily. See, there are all these professional associations out there that want to take your money in exchange for benefits, cred, whatever. (We’re one of them.) But there are so many out there, sometimes you don’t know which is right for you—or even that the right place exists for you.

We’ve compiled as many as we can find in all the disciplines that mediabistro visitors work in, and will be featuring one a day til we run out. We’re going in alphabetical order so nobody feels slighted, but if we skipped your favorite group by mistake, please let us know. We ain’t perfect and Google can only do so much.

Right.

Now, first off: AIGA, or the American Institute of Graphic Arts.

About the organization:

AIGA, the professional association for design, stimulates thinking about design, demonstrates the value of design and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers. AIGA’s mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design, and is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational institution.

Number of members: More than 22,000

To join, you must:
Fall under one of the following categories.
Professional – An individual who has practiced or taught in any design community for four years or more.
Associate – An individual who has practiced in any design community for fewer than four years.
Student – A full-time student who presents a copy of a dated bursar’s receipt or current ID from an accredited college or university.
Full-time faculty – Current full-time faculty members may apply for a special membership rate (not available through the online application).

You’ll get:

• Access to a job board
• Discounts on Adobe software and others
• Access to a health insurance group plan
• More

And for that, you’ll pay:
Professional – $315 annual
Associate – $230 annual
Student – $95 annual
Full-time faculty – $110 annual
Group – $245 each annual

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting this Thursday, February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Michael Brito (Edelman Digital), and Tim Devane (bitly). Register now.