Advocacy
As a unified body representing the field of industrial design, we work to protect the interests of our membership, and the professional practice of industrial design at large.
Advocacy at IDSA takes many forms
Advocacy, broadly defined as “public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy”, is one of IDSA’s long-standing foundational pillars. This means that part of our reason for existing is to champion the interests of professional industrial designers and represent the voice of our membership on matters related to their professional well-being. We accomplish this, most commonly, through our ongoing efforts to communicate the value of design to business and general public sectors, by taking action to protect the intellectual property of designers, and by serving as a trusted resource for accurate information about the profession.
Early documentation from the time of our founding, (by assuming some of the goals of its predecessors through merger in 1965) states of IDSA:
"The purposes for which the corporation is formed is to promote the study and practice of the profession of industrial design throughout the United States of America ... and do whatever its members may consider best to promote the position of the profession of industrial design"
IDSA is an active part of our extended design community
It is important for IDSA, as an organization, to participate, collaborate, and partner with other like-minded groups who share in our vision, mission, and goals. This kind of involvement helps ensure that we are present during critical conversations related to our profession and can be a representative voice for our membership.
World Design Organization
World Design Organization (WDO)® is a globally recognized non-governmental organization that aims to promote and advance the discipline of industrial design and its power to enhance economic, social, cultural and environmental quality of life. Founded in 1957, WDO services over 180 member organizations around the world, engaging thousands of individual designers through our innovative programming and initiatives that champion “design for a better world”.
National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Founded in 1944, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) is an organization of schools, conservatories, colleges, and universities with approximately 349 accredited institutional members. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials for art and design and art/design-related disciplines, and provides assistance to institutions and individuals engaged in artistic, scholarly, educational, and other art/design-related endeavors.
Diversity by Design
Diversify by Design (DxD) is a coalition of organizations who’s focus is on five critical, interconnected aspects of the design ecosystem: Exposure, Education, Experience, Employment, and Empowerment. D×D tackles these inequities by elevating proven program models and co-creating new initiatives only where solution gaps are present.