well, according to US law which comes from the constitution that’s a subcategory, like freedom of expression.
“So, you pay to be part of IDSA, but they leave out academic ID programs that aren’t NASAD certified. I’d like to entreat IDSA to get local chapters to help get involved with the schools that aren’t certified to get them up to snuff or support the ID program if the school can’t do it for misc reasons. It only helps the field overall, and in turn their organization. So, I’m renewing my membership this year.[/quote from Dexter]”
This is a good point. It is also a note to all professionals out there. Get involved with your local ID school. The students are our next generation.
IDSA is what you put into it. Yes, if you have a slow chapter it is harder to give back. If that is the case, run for office and change it. 
It is true, as with everything in life, you get out what you put in. I feel that those who think that the IDSA is a waste of money have not used its resources or have not realized how they have benefited even without being a member.
If you move into a new town and need to find out what is happing in the design community, you can contact your local chapter and start form there. It can be the seed that the tree grows from. It is not a big circle jerk. They gladly accept new members and are willing to give you the help you are looking for.
I would also recommend becoming an officer to anyone. It is not a lot of work and you have the opportunity to contact and work with other designers that you would normally never get a chance to work with. Where else would you get the chance to sit down with the owners and lead designers of some of the very best firms in the world? How much would you have to pay for an hour of their time?
The cost of a gym membership is very high if you never go. But if you work out all the time, the gym is a priceless resource. So get off your fat ass and go. Otherwise don’t complain.
…who AREN’T members.
IDSA only represents 10% of 35,000 people who claim to work as industrial designers in the US. I think that’s mostly due to the lack of public awareness about our profession coupled with the lack of accredidation. Who cares if you’re a member if it doesn’t substantiate anything, and who’s going to know anyway, right?
That’s why I AM a member. Not only do I support IDSA because they make the effort to market our profession, but I beleive in the structure they use and are constantly improving. My company pays for my membership, and justifies it for their access to the ID community via me, and for my professional growth through IDSA programs. For that matter, I’d buck up the fees even if they didn’t… it’s really not that much if you’re any good at ID.
The best part about being an IDSA member is that I have direct access to a national network of design professional who recognize that I CARE about ID enough to belong and contribute to the society.
I love what core77, gizmodo, and all those other channels are doing, but they’re mostly just a broadcast medium. What are YOU doing for ID just by reading core77 blogs?
i don’t think core is a broadcast unit. it’s very interactive and will become more interactive in future. core has added good forums like the projects and folio forums aside the m & p which it already had and allows individuals to create as many foilios they want to discuss projects. i think that’s an advantage.
idsa needs to focus on issues that interests the designers not the so called design community. what is this design community anyway? whenever i hear that phrase i think they are talking about a group of people who are living for one purpose, what that purpose is it’s unclear.
please tell me why i would want to read the idsa magazine or go to it’s health club, or listen to lectures on design when i can get ten times that info from everywhere else.
and finally why would i want to meet other designers when they look at me like “oh great, another designer”.
Pay for my membership.
It’s not that much if YOU’re any good at ID. Help me out, ID evangelist.
IDSA isnt the onlt method of “direct acces”. Even if, I’m sure you go out for sushi all across the nation with all the movers and shakers that you meet constantly off the “direct access.”
So how do you exactly “contribute to the society”?
What do you do besides walking over to a meet up, sitting through an hour of nothing, then stand there shifting your weight with your hands in your pockets afterwards? Talk about each other’s philosophies while stroking each other?
REAlly describe what you get out of it for 500 bucks a year. Besides a superficial no-fat-chicks-like comaraderie and putting letters after your name. Frivolous and pretentious no?
I’m serious, give me $500 bucks. thanx.
to fake smile and wipe their hands after they shake yours.
Its all a big contradicting irony. Designers are very elitist and pretentious in general. A club or group of such individuals to all come together makes it a joke. It’s like chicks checking each other out at a bar, smiling, then calling each other sluts behind each other’s backs.
So, sluts stroking sushi aside, are any professional design organizations worth their membership dues? Why?
What do the dues go to?
Does anyone really know?
Maybe I’ll buy the magazine subscription.
I think any entity such as IDSA is what you make of it. IDSA takes care of our industry on the global level where each individual could not stand on a soap box high enough alone to make a voice as a large unified group could. And it does. When government and larger business entities, publications etc… go to speak to the source of ID they go to IDSA. We can make ourselves heard and speak up for our place in the business, design world. On the individual level it’s what you make of it. The industry events, the network and directory it’s all there for those that are sharp enough to utilize it.
Sure you can read other publications and blogs that speculate but they don’t have an invested interest in the well being of this industry that we live and breath in. Does IDSA accomplish much? It does, of course never as much as we’d like it to but also IDSA needs our support. And I almost feel it’s an obligation to ourselves to better our situation. Admittedly these things are not easy to change but is anything worth while easy?
The more sharp people that get involve rather than sit on the side lines and rant the more we can accomplish more and even become the new leadership to better our situation.
If we’re such talented people, let’s look even bigger and redesign, restrategize our industry image, positioning, it’s future, etc…
I’ve been in this industry 10+ years. Only in the past few have I been more involved. And it feels great to do what I can to make our world better to impact more than what I do on a daily basis at my desk. You also would not believe what I learn, who I meet and what connections I’ve made and how it’s benefited me in every way. It’s all what you make of it.
Take a look at the June issue of Fast Company.
i’m not a politician and i don’t like political speeches.and i know one thing for certain: nobody in the 21st century listens to political speeches that sound like a fund raiser.
give us something we can see not something we can’t unless we join.
You wouldn’t believe the leprechaun I have in my clasped hands. Too bad I can’t show it to anyone
Well, what do you want then? What’s a resonable return for your dues?
$100 annual dues, not $500
but seriously, its not WHAT PEOPLE WANT on a menu, its WHERE THE FUK IS THE $ GOING, and after listing the administrative and income/profit supplement reasons, we are asking, IS IT ALL WORTH IT, just to have what we have so far: access to unlimited billionaire contacts that are UNACCESSIBLE through other means, the right to put four letters after your name, magazine issues that you can get at a bookstore, cocktail hour one every 6 months.
try following the thread next time.
thanx.
Give me a break. The cost is $100 to $300. I’ve spent that in one night going out to bars; in fact, I’ve spent that on one night going out to bars buying a few rounds at an IDSA conference. I look at it as money going to a cause I believe in, kind of like a decent local band’s CD release party, it’s $8 for an album and maybe I’ll only listen to it a few times, but it’s going to be good for the scene. But of course, IDSA’s better than a local band though because you can jump on stage and rock out too. As far as where the dues go, I have trust that it’s being used in a positive way. It’s not like they’re pulling an Enron/WorldCom. Administrative costs of running a national organization are not cheap.
Money issues aside…
Personally, I enjoy the social aspect of it. Get together, talk about design with people who genuinely like design. Sure, some of them can be pretentious bastards, but I just don’t talk to them. At the last meeting, I got to talk to a really nice guy who knew alot about global intellectual property laws. I have my own share of criticisms about the organization, but working to make it better is easier than starting something new. Guess I’m just lazy.
Also for students: when I was in school I wanted to start an Industrial Design club, but getting an IDSA student chapter going was much easier. The IDSA name alone helped us do more activities, like visiting firms or companies, and the name also helped us get university and companies to sponsor events.
IDSA’s there for your use, but it’ll just sit in the toolshed unless you start gardening.
(Damn, that’s so poetic! i’m kidding… 
and if you’re in the Chicago chapter, send me email, let’s grab a beer!
have a good weekend.
so what about for those that do have friends and do not want to go to a bar from 6-11 and talk about what you did from 9-5?
Did you check out the annual report from last year? IDSA seems to be pretty straight forward about where their money is going. http://new.idsa.org/webmodules/articles/articlefiles/2003_2004.pdf
Personally, I think this is a worthwhile topic if there are people with such resentment. Were you burned by IDSA in some way?
What would help you be a better designer? What should IDSA give you exclusive access to (employers, contracts, product discounts, etc)?
Those are some great questions.
I’m just not sure it is needed anymore at this point, it might be an outdated model for a professional organization, or maybe not. Off the top of my head:
Some things that I think would be good for a design organization to do, perhaps the IDSA allready does some of these things:
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educate large corporations on the value of design, offer assistance to companies that have little experience with ID with selecting an appropriate type of consulting group for their needs and even setting up in house studios.
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help to elevate design’s standing in corporations to be on par with marketing and engineering. Many companies have designers that are VP’s, but many more have design as a function of engineering or marketing.
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set up a solid mentorship program to help students transition to the professional level, an apprentice program would be even better.
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make those 4 letters after your name mean something beyond I forked over 3oo bucks each year. Some kind of portfolio review/sponsership program to get into the organization to ensure quality.
So to sum it up: Educate, Elevate, Mediate and Substantiate.
good ideas.
they should develop products using the vast resources and expertise of its members… (its what we do afterall) I’m sure if there is some sort of a forum with easy and level access for all members, a lot of ideas can be generated, kinda like core77 slam competition, except it won’t be a competition. A project or product that could have environmentally green motives or other beneficial purpose, or even just to make some $$$, get recognition, and uplift the ideals of ID. or even just to make things interesting for the members and the organization.
suppose a new project was spearheaded by IDSA, a collection or some “movement”, or a new product that could generate buzz… might be interesting.
Product/IDEA designed by IDSA members collectively and pro bono