Designers Accord

In late 2007, the Designers Accord was founded with the goal of changing the way the creative community does business. Designers, educators and business leaders adopted a “Kyoto Treaty” of design (later renamed the Designers Accord) that specified a particular ethos and behavior around sustainable design. The underlying philosophy was that by collectively building our intelligence around issues of climate change and humanitarian issues, designers could catalyze innovative and sustainable problem solving throughout the creative community.

Today, the Designers Accord is a global coalition of designers, educators and business leaders, working together to create positive environmental and social impact. The Designers Accord creates a knowledge-sharing network throughout the global creative community to share best practices and help accelerate adoption of sustainability principles. All adopters, globally, are asked to proactively engage in a dialogue about environmental impact with each client and customer, and to integrate sustainable alternatives in their work.

In 2008 AIGA elected to endorse Designers Accord, reflecting a continued organizational commitment to inspiring sustainable business practices in the design profession that imparts the value of sustainable design at every level.

The Designers Accord formalized a commitment to socially responsible design. AIGA has reinforced this commitment by making it part of the standards of professional practice, to which all AIGA members are encouraged to adhere. Both The Living Principles and Design for Good are ways for designers to act on the commitment implied by Designers Accord.