Membership FAQs
Find common questions for AIGA membership below.
Watch this short video to learn more about the join and renew process.
Joining AIGA
Click here to reset your password and an automated email will be sent to you shortly. If you don't receive one, please email membership@aiga.org and we'll send you a password reset email from the backend.
If you need to reset your username, please also email membership@aiga.org and we'll update that for you.
All members are a part of AIGA, a nationwide organization, and have the option to be affiliated with one or more of AIGA's 60+ local chapters across the U.S. When creating your profile on my.aiga.org you can choose both a primary and a secondary chapter during the join process. If you don't happen to live near an active chapter, you can opt to become an AIGA Member-at-Large.
If you're looking to connect with your fellow members, visit the AIGA Community space for networking and discussion opportunities.
Plus, AIGA's online Designer Directory allows you to search by first name, last name, company, city, or state. You can customize your profile with your headshot and bio when you log in to my.aiga.org and click "My profile".
AIGA Membership Types
AIGA's individual member types are designed to support you, wherever you are in your design career:
- Student: A full-time K–12 student, or any full-time college/university undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in a two–or four–year program in design, visual communications, or related field of study. Student members under the age of 18 are not eligible to vote or to serve as a member of the Board of Directors. Applicants for Student membership may be required to provide their school name and anticipated graduation date for eligibility purposes. Yearly dues: $50
- Emerging: A new design practitioner who is one to four years past graduation OR any new practitioner with less than a total of four years experience in the profession. Members only qualify for this category for a maximum of four (4) years. Applicants for Emerging membership may be required to verify employment dates and/or graduation dates for eligibility purposes. Yearly dues: $150
- Educator: A full-time (or equivalent) educator in design or related field of study, in a K–12 school, college, or university. Yearly dues: $200
- Professional: A design or related industry professional with five (5) or more years in practice. Yearly dues: $250
- Leader: A professional designer, industry–adjacent leader, arts supporter, or firm owner who opts to make a greater investment in AIGA and the future of the profession. Yearly dues: $500
All AIGA memberships prorated to run on a calendar year, with an annual expiration date of December 31.
When you initially join AIGA, your membership dues invoice will be automatically prorated for you based on the month you join. For example, if you join in July, you will only be billed for 6-months of membership, or 50% of the standard annual rate for your member type. When it's time to renew at the end of each calendar year, you will then be invoiced for the coming year at the standard annual rate.
YES! We know that times are challenging, and want to make AIGA membership accessible to those who want to make the investment. And as part of our membership structure, AIGA offers quarterly installment options for members in the Emerging, Educator, Professional and Leader categories. Installment plans are not available for Student or Group memberships.
There is value in being part of a profession and larger community. It’s an investment in yourself and in your peers, and our profession. AIGA is evolving and growing every day!
With your membership support, AIGA will be able to make greater investments in industry research, innovative professional development programming like our Certificates for Creatives, and more advanced technical services. This is added value creation for you as a design professional, and for the community as a whole; it is work we are excited to develop and continue to deliver now and in the years ahead.
We need you! Your contribution as a member matters. Your voice as an advocate for the profession, your work as a designer, and your personal skills and contributions to the association matter. You make AIGA, the professional association for design!
Watch this short one minute video to see how to renew, then visit my.aiga.org to complete the renewal process.
Please contact our membership team at membership@aiga.org and they will be able to answer your membership questions. You can also call 212.807.1990.
Benefits of membership
AIGA Membership has many benefits including connection to the largest design community in the US; full access to Design Jobs; the latest industry news and trends; exclusive member pricing on events and professional development offerings, services, and products; health insurance assistance, and more! Additionally, AIGA chapters often provide additional member benefits specific to their local creative community. Inquire with your AIGA chapter for more information.
To view additional perks just for AIGA members, please visit the Member Special Offers page.
Your educator or student status is captured as an attribute within your my.aiga.org member profile. You can join or renew at any membership level and select the “educator” or "student" attribute under “job type”. Be sure to keep this information up to date as it is critical for providing you the most relevant news and opportunities.
In partnership with Association Health Programs (AHP), AIGA offers assistance with health insurance enrollment. AHP is the industry leader for providing health insurance solutions to association members by designing and recommending products tailored to each member’s needs. With 30 years of experience, AHP brings product knowledge and rate stability to AIGA members.
While AHP is able to offer some product discounts to eligible members, this varies based on a number of components including state and plan type. To learn if the plans you are interested in are available at a discounted rate, AIGA members can call an AHP representative today at 888-450-3040.
Please be aware that AHP will not be able to provide information about available health insurance options to non-members. The benefit AHP offers our members is assistance in looking for plans, costs, and options based on certain criteria. This means the information (plans, cost, etc) cannot be shared with those who aren't members of our association.
Posting to Design Jobs is available to members and nonmembers, but current AIGA members at the Sustaining level and above receive a significant discount when posting a job. Other questions about Design Jobs? Check out the Design Jobs support page.
International membership
AIGA has members located around the world, but no active international chapters. When registering, you can choose ‘Member at Large’ from the chapter field of your my.aiga.org account.
As a peer group, AIGA offers advisory opinion letters in support of O-1, O-2, and H-1B petitions to members with their membership dues paid in full. Required materials (listed below) can be emailed to membership@aiga.org.
- Digital resume/ CV
- Examples of work (link to website or digital PDF portfolio)
- Completed advisory opinion letter request form
The cost for this service is $250 payable by credit card, wire transfer, or check. Members typically receive their letters within four to ten business days, once all of the materials are received. For an extra $50, we can expedite the process and return the letter within one to three business days, and if you need an updated letter (within a year) we can provide the service for a flat rate of $50.
If you aren’t an AIGA member, please visit my.aiga.org or email membership@aiga.org.
Group membership
We moved from a tiered model to a per person rate. See our page here online for more information, and view the rates below. The group admin will be able to swap members as long as they don't exceed the number of member slots they originally purchased, or add a new member at the prorated rate.
3 to 5 members = $225 per person
6 to 9 members = $175 per person
10 to 99 members = $150 per person
100+ members = $125 per person
Email membership@aiga.org to speak with a membership specialist.
Please email membership@aiga.org to make changes to your group's roster.
To learn more about creating and managing an AIGA Student Group on your campus, please visit our AIGA Student Group Guide.
To activate/renew your student group/faculty advisor memberships, please contact the membership team at membership@aiga.org. To expedite processing, all student and faulty members can create their own profiles at my.aiga.org to ensure timely receipt of future AIGA benefits and communications.
Payment options
AIGA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and your dues are considered a charitable contribution. The AIGA dues installment program is an agreement to pay your annual dues in full by the end of the year. While we can accommodate a request to end your membership benefits early, your dues installment payments must be completed in full, as agreed at the time your annual dues installment payment agreement was approved.
AIGA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and your dues are considered a charitable contribution. AIGA membership dues are non-refundable and non-transferrable to another individual.
Yes, you change your membership type during your normal annual renewal at my.aiga.org. Each year at renewal time, you'll be invited to update both your member type and chapter affiliation, if you wish.
If you need to change your member type mid-year, please email membership@aiga.org with your request. If any additional funds are due, based on your new member type, a membership representative will let you know in advance.
Dues that have already been received are non-refundable. However, you are welcome to your membership at the time of renewal.
To purchase a gift membership, please complete this form or email membership@aiga.org. The AIGA membership team will work with you to record the recipient’s contact information (full name, email address, chapter, and mailing address) and process your payment. A receipt will be emailed to you for your records.
