AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GRAPHIC ARTS
the professional association for design
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
As the profession's largest community of communication designers, we advance design as a respected craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force. From content that defines the global practice to events that connect and catalyze, we work to enhance the value and deepen the impact of design on business, society and our collective future.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
AIGA Design Conference
The AIGA Design Conference is the biggest event of the year for creatives from all across the country. Join us as we reflect the current state of the design profession, push the bounds of design's role in our culture, and dive deep into future-facing issues.
Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders
Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders is a certificate course held each July for senior-level design professionals, which draws on the strength of Yale School of Management faculty to advance attendees’ business knowledge in one intensive week.
50 Books | 50 Covers Competition
This time-honored competition aims to identify the 50 best-designed books and book covers of the year. The juror-selections from the 50 Books | 50 Covers competition exemplify the best current work in book and book cover design.
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships
Worldstudio launched it’s landmark college scholarship program in 1995 to address the lack of diversity in the creative professions and to foster social responsibility in the creative professionals of the future.
Through this initiative, Worldstudio partners with individuals, corporate sponsors and non-profit organizations to give scholarships in the name of the donor to aspiring artists and designers (areas of study: graphic design, illustration, and photography from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Awards are often tied to larger initiatives, meaningful engagements, or organizational goals.
Since 2005, Worldstudio has collaborated with AIGA, the professional association for design, to implement the program.
AIGA Awards
The medal of AIGA—the most distinguished in the field—is awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of design and visual communication. The contribution may be in the practice of design, teaching, writing or leadership of the profession. The awards may honor designers posthumously.
Design Business and Ethics
The AIGA Design Business and Ethics series outlines the critical ethical and professional issues encountered by designers and their clients.
Design Futures
AIGA periodically assesses the changing context for practice and implications for the pre-service, college education of designers and continuing education of professionals. It examines social, technological, and economic trends that will shape the environment in which designers work and identifies related competencies for successful practice.
Where we work
External reviews

Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
• Communicate, celebrate and demonstrate the value of design to business, government, media and the public (focus on design)
• Empower members across the arc of their careers (focus on designers)
• Engage members and empower chapters to create vital communities and supportive networks (focus on members and chapters)
• Ensure a well managed, financially sound and responsive professional organization (focus on organizational stability)
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
AIGA advances its mission by connecting practitioners, enthusiasts and patrons through regional and national events, and by creating content and curating programs that empower designers.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
AIGA members include 18,000 professionals, educators, and students organized into 75 chapters and 200 student groups coast to coast.
Each year, AIGA members develop and produce more than 1,000 local events through AIGA chapters across the country, including design lectures, portfolio reviews, networking sessions, competitions, exhibitions, studio tours, and more.
To augment these local activities, 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 efforts of many thousands of members.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In the 20th century, AIGA was seen as the arbiter of design excellence. AIGA conducted and published the results of annual competitions, awarded the AIGA Medal and convened gatherings for inspiration and networking (conferences). It developed standards and ethics for the profession and advocated the value of design with business and the public. In the 21st century, AIGA will become a global platform to bring design to the world and the world to designers.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
AIGA serves a professional group of designers in the United States and abroad as well as the general public who may practice, study, and appreciate design.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Electronic surveys (by email, tablet, etc.), Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person), Community meetings/Town halls, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
AIGA took time last year to listen. As a professional organization, we have the opportunity, and responsibility, to empower our members, to support our small businesses and designers in a year that was full of continual change. We asked what was needed and worked to bring those needs to life, and to share those resources with our broader community. Nearly 600 designers from AIGA’s 75 chapters participated in a four-day virtual conference and heard from experts about nonprofit management. In consultation with our DEI Task Force, AIGA partnered with World Trust Educational Services to advance social justice and racial equity with a customized three-part training series for AIGA’s national staff, national Board of Directors, past and current chapter leaders, and special interest groups.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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How has asking for feedback from the people you serve changed your relationship?
With the onset of the pandemic, we decided to take the opportunity to rethink the scope of the research that was planned for 2020 and re-conceptualize what it can be based on the initial findings from the Pulse Check survey that was conducted in early 2020. Thanks to the early outreach and participation by members of the design community, we incorporated new capabilities and methods into our research including focus group sessions with educators, freelance designers, small business owners, students, senior design leaders, design influencers, and hiring managers to better understand the needs and concerns of the larger community. We also reached out to design adjacent industries to talk with community members that have a design connection. In 2021, we launched AIGA Design POV.
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF GRAPHIC ARTS
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Ashleigh Axios
Coforma
Term: 2020 - 2023
Ashleigh Axios
Coforma
Lisa Babb
School of Industrial Design, Georgia Institute of Technology
Lorenzo Gonzalez
Amazon
Manuhuia Barcham
Archetekt
Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel
Thomas Jefferson University
Cesar Rivera
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Elise Roy
Salesforce
Art Taylor
BBB Wise Giving Alliance
Frances Yllana
projekt202
Victor Davila
University of Central Florida
Sheharazad Fleming
The Office of Los Angeles Mayor Garcetti
Oen Hammonds
IBM
Xouchee Moua
Goods & Services
Eileen Prado
CAP3
Isaiah Steinfeld
VF Venture Foundry
Anna Thomsen
United Airlines
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? No
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data