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Student Resources

AIGA produces national programs to support all members. These initiatives have been made possible through the support of our generous partners and sponsors, as well as the effort of many thousands of members.

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Portfolio Festival

The AIGA Portfolio Festival is a virtual event supporting students, recent graduates, emerging designers, and those looking to refresh their portfolio.

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Portfolio Review

Design Practice Areas

Interested in learning more about the different areas of communication design? Browse collections of books and talks or start from the beginning by learning about the type of work each practice area undertakes.

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Student Groups

Students represent tomorrow’s professional designers and the future of AIGA. When student members organize to become student groups, they serve as a microcosm of AIGA—complete with their own board, programming and needs for community, inspiration and organization—and cultivate the next generation of design leaders.

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Standards of Professional Practice

A professional designer adheres to principles of integrity that demonstrate respect for the profession, for colleagues, for clients, for audiences or consumers, and for society as a whole. These standards define the expectations of a professional designer and represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design.

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Guide to Internships

AIGA believes that quality internships provide an invaluable stepping stone towards professional practice and create continuity within the design profession. We thank those who open their doors to young designers and generously share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of design practitioners.

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AIGA’s Position on Spec Work

AIGA believes that professional designers should be compensated fairly for their work and should negotiate the ownership or use rights of their intellectual and creative property through an engagement with clients.

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AIGA Design Jobs

It is the first place AIGA members turn to find their next opportunity, and the premier place for employers seeking the most qualified designers. Access full-time, part-time, freelance, and internship postings on AIGA's job board.

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Scholarships

AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships

AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships benefit underrepresented and economically disadvantaged students who are studying photography, illustration, and design at colleges and universities in the U.S.

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The words AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships on a navy blue background with a gradient teal circle in the middle ground.

This scholarship will allow me to continue focusing on my studies, involvement with student organization on campus, and give me the time to apply to master programs or graphic design positions.

Miriam Flores

2021–2022 AIGA Worldstudio Scholarship Recipient

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    About the Profession

    What is Design?

    Design is a creative field with many types of practice and a variety of professional contexts.

    Types of Design Practice

    Descriptions of the different areas of practice in communication design.

    Who Becomes a Communication Designer?

    Designers are creative problem seekers who explore many ways of thinking about a task and creative problem solvers who synthesize the outcomes of their exploration in design solutions that best fit people's "wants and needs" and the demands of the surrounding context. This article explores the typical characteristics of a design professional.
      Choosing a School

      Making Choices About the Study of Communication Design

      Understand the extent to which specific programs can accomplish their published goals as well as the clarity and accuracy of the school's claims about career preparation.

      Degree Programs and Professional Preparation

      The presence of communication design content in college courses and curriculum, or even its designation as an area of emphasis or concentration does not automatically indicate that the degree program adequately prepares students for professional practice.

      Questions to Ask Schools

      A collection of questions to ask schools when exploring admission to a communication design program.
        Careers in Design

        Where do Communication Designers Work?

        There are many variations in the mission, size, and structure of the places in which communication designers work. Find out more about the differences in nature of work within these different environments.

        What is the Future of Design Careers?

        The largest area of employment growth is in web design and software design.
          Your First Design Job

          Download PDF

          After School Special: 10 Tips for Getting Started in Your Design Career

          In the beginning of a career, the transition from school to work is difficult, to put it mildly. The first thing you learn is that there is more to learn. A lot more.

          Tips for Designers: Nailing the Interview

          There are a lot of designers out there applying for the same job. You need to know your strengths and sell them.

          8 Tips for Keeping Your First Design Job

          Many design programs don’t teach students a lot of the soft skills that are more or less required for holding down a real-world job. Here, John Luu shares some tips on how to keep your first design job.

          Ten Common Mistakes in Résumés and Cover Letters

          People in this business are trained to make fast judgments, so avoid these errors in your first impression.

          Making a Living

          Every year, thousands of hopefuls seek to enter the design profession without quite knowing what it's all about, and without having a clear understanding of how a design career is different from that of, say, a fine artist or an illustrator. If you're getting ready to write a big tuition check to enter a design degree program, or if you've just graduated and are wondering what to expect in the working world, this article's for you.

          Beyond Craft and Tools: The Skills Design Students Must Master

          What are today’s creative directors and designers really looking for from their hires? David Sherwin explores the skills that today’s designers need to be successful in today’s job market.
            Student Resources

            ADVICE

            Chad Hall and Jp Avila

            This is Design School

            ADVICE

            David Airey

            Advice for Design Students

            ADVICE

            Adrian Shaughnessy

            How to be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul

            PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

            Emily Ruth Cohen

            Brutally Honest: No Bullshit Strategies To Evolve Your Creative Business

            PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

            Ted Leonhardt

            Nail It: Stories for Designers on Negotiating with Confidence

            BUILDING PORTFOLIOS

            Peachpit

            Stand Out

            BUILDING PORTFOLIOS

            Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit

            Flaunt

            BUILDING PORTFOLIOS

            Simon & Schuster

            Build Your Own Brand

            BUILDING PORTFOLIOS

            Juliette Cezzar

            AIGA Career Guide
            AIGA Design Conference

            Conference

            AIGA Design Conference

            The AIGA Design Conference is the biggest event of the year for creatives from all across the country. Be there as the design community comes together together to experience provocative speakers, cultural events, networking with fellow creatives, professional development workshops, and face-to-face roundtables with your design heroes.

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            Related Reading, Videos and Opportunities

            AIGA Career Guide

            Book

            Juliette Cezzar

            The AIGA Guide to Careers in Graphic and Communication Design

            AIGA Hero

            Conferences and Festivals

            A complete listing of AIGA's national and chapter-led conferences and festivals.

            The Bottom Line: AIGA Design + Business Salon Series

            There is no one way to do business in design anymore. Join us for "The Bottom Line: AIGA Design + Business Salon Series," a collection of intimate conversations for design entrepreneurs, freelancers and studio owners.
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