At every large gathering of designers, a conversation will begin about whether designers should be certified in order to separate those with a full set of skills, education and experience from others who may be adept in using the tools of design, but less qualified to deal with the deeper needs, context, content and results that a client would expect from a fully accredited professional.
Lionel Gadoury, president of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario, and Hilary Ashworth, Executive Director launched this presentation at Pivot, AIGA Design Conference, October 2011.
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Becoming an RGD
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39. Becoming a Registered Graphic Designer
Review of R.G.D. Handbook for the Registered Graphic Designers
Qualification Examination
All information and forms can be found at
www.rgdexamboard.com
40. OVERVIEW
• Effective ethical, responsible graphic design professional
• Professionally competent in business, design principles, research
and theory and ethics.
• Able to apply this knowledge to design problems, management
and/or education
• Graphic design practitioner, manager or educator
41. OVERVIEW
• Effective ethical, responsible graphic design professional
• Step 1: Application Process
• Step 2: Written Test
• Step 3: Portfolio Interview
• Step 4: R.G.D. Membership
42. OVERVIEW Handbook
Page 4
Regular Applicant
7 Years of education (3- or 4-year post-secondary graphic design diploma or
and practice degree and 3 or 4 years of professional practice).
Seniority
7 years of relevant education and/or professional practice
7 Years of education
prior to 2000 and continuous professional engagement in
and/or practice before
the field from 2000 to the present. Seniority applicants
2000
are exempt from the written test portion of the exam,
except for the Rules of Professional Conduct section.
10 Years of education Atypical
(10 years of relevant education and/or
and/or practice
professional practice.
43. HOW TO APPLY Handbook
Page 5
(1) Completed application form
(2) Sealed official transcript(s), if applicable
(3) Payment of Applicable Fees ($150 + HST or $75 + HST)
(4) Submission of WrittenRationales (con’t on next page)
44. HOW TO APPLY Handbook
Page 5
(1) Rationale for each of the six pieces
(2) Visual reference to the portfolio piece
(3) The following information: project objectives, target audience,
concept, design issues, design process, outcome/results,
(4) Date when produced
(5) Consolidated into one PDF, named and posted
46. THE TEST Handbook
Pages 7-11
• All Multiple Choice Questions
• Approx. 1.5 hours
• Dates scheduled on an on-going, as needed basis
• Suggested texts available from RGD Ontario if you have
scheduled a date to write in next 3 months
• R.G.D. Membership
47. THE TEST Handbook
Pages 7-11
1 (a) Design History
Suggested Texts:
A History of Graphic Design, by Meggs, Philip
(ONLY the 20th century will be tested)
Canadian Icons, Applied Arts Article by Saldanha, Errol
1 (b) Design Research
Suggested Text:
A Designer’s Research Manual: Succeed in Design by
Knowing Your Clients, by Visocky O’Grady, Jen & Ken
48. THE TEST Handbook
Pages 7-11
2 (a) Business
Suggested Text:
The Business of Graphic Design: A Professional’s Handbook
Available at RGD Ontario Office
2 (b) Design Principles
Suggested Texts:
Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton
Design Elements: A Graphic Style Manual by Timothy Samara
(ONLY Chapter 3)
49. THE TEST Handbook
Pages 7-11
(3) Basic Technology
• Technology
Choose one of five:
• Print OR
• Electronic Media OR
• Packaging Graphics OR
• Environmental Graphics OR
• Studio Management
50. THE TEST Handbook
Pages 7-11
(4) Rules of Professional Conduct
• Based on RGD Ontario By-Law # 3
• 15 Multiple Choice questions
• 25 Minutes to complete (If Seniority)
• 75% passing mark to be eligible to complete portfolio interview
Seniority applicants must pass the Rules of Professional Conduct
Section and are exempt from the rest of the Written Test
51. THE PORTFOLIO Handbook
Pages 12-16
Review R.G.D. Exam Handbook in detail
25 Minutes
3 R.G.D. Examiners
6 Portfolio Pieces
52. MEMBERSHIP Handbook
Page 17
Within 2 weeks of completion of all 3 steps, you will be notified if
you have Passed or Failed. You then have 3 months to submit
your R.G.D. Application Form to RGD Ontario
53. “RGD is an active, committed, intelligent
organization that supports Ontario designers. I am
proud to be a member and to have earned my
RGD designation.”
– Ben Hagon R.G.D.
Principal, Hagon Design
54. “R.G.D. next to my name is like a badge of
excellence and passion that I,
as a professional, get to wear.”
– Carl Poirier R.G.D.
Creative Director, Cayenne Creative
55. “The R.G.D. designation is an acknowledgment of
my commitment to high standards and motivates me
and my company to strive to new heights.”
– Diego Casco R.G.D.
President and Creative Director
Casco Design and Communications
56. “I really appreciate being part of a group that is
continually strengthening and growing our profession
by empowering members to achieve their goals while
creating an awareness of the value of design.”
– Jeff Hardy R.G.D.
Director, 211 INTERACTIVE
57. “I believe good design delivers a solid return
to our clients; it's important that we educate
clients on the value of well-executed,
strategic design communications.”
– Karl Thomson R.G.D.
Creative Director and Managing Partner
Compass360
Editor's Notes
A doctor, an engineer, a rabbi and a lawyer were debating who was the world's first professional.The doctor said, "It must have been a doctor. Who else could have helped with the world's first surgery – taking a rib from Adam to create Eve, the first woman?”"No," said the rabbi. "It must have been a rabbi, since the Lord needed someone to help preach his message to Adam and the world.”"Wait," said the engineer. "The world was created in 6 days from nothing. Do you know what a master engineering feat that was – to create the whole world into an organized civilized place from utter chaos?””Ahhh, but WHO created the chaos?" said the lawyer.Whoever wrote the joke, didn’t include a designer amongst the professions, but elsewhere I stumbled upon a visual rebuttal….
So what is it in our society that bolsters perceptions of one career choice over another?
In lieu of personal knowledge of an individual, we place a great deal of trust in professional communities.We all know that where formal education leaves off, real-world learning and experience continues.Over the last century, a legacy of professional designations have been amassed.It’s still not a guarantee that one individual is better than another, but in our fast-paced world, knowing that someone has gone that extra distance to achieve a designation, passed an exam, is sworn to a code of ethics and accountable to a larger professional body gives us confidence. The designation is the recognizable element.
Over time, wherever specialized skills have been deemed most critical, we’ve seen a progression towards professional designations, often simply called accreditations, certifications or qualifications.Many designations appear as post-nominal letters indicating an earned privilege from an oversight professional body acting to safeguard the public interest.Today, professional designations are very common in health care, engineering and industrial sectors, architecture, aviation, technology, environment, business and finance, as well as various construction and service trades.
Certification is not an all-gain, no-pain, ticket to more moneyCredentials can be a differentiator and may support a higher fee, but economic analysis is hard to find.More contentious are moves to bestow accreditation and certification honorifics as image enhancers but without the actual rigor and verifiable benchmarks we see in other established orders.
(Well maybe architects, but what about other designers…)
Image: Brunelleschi’s building of the dome atop the Florence cathedral not only transformed the cathedral and the city of Florence, but also the role and status of the architect.
Today, the term "architecture" has been adopted to describe the activity of designing many kinds of systems, and is commonly used in information technology (IT) and accounting designations.
Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP)CITP is awarded only to CPAs who are members of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The CITP serves as the "bridge" between business and technology, leveraging the CPA's strategic and general business skills.
From creative rebels to boardroom gurus, isn’t it time for designers to claim their professional place?Ethos of graphic design has not historically been thought of in terms of professional accreditation. Many successful graphic designers have preferred the image of iconoclasts, rebellious by nature, never to be guided by convention. Although we have our heroes, this legacy hasn’t been so effective at raising a broader recognition for the value a designer can deliver.
Although accreditation has not evolved as quickly within graphic design as it has in business communications and public relations sectors, all have been steadily advancing.
The International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) is a leading association for business communication professionals. IABC has approximately 16,000 members in more than 100 chapters in over 80 countries.To achieve Accredited Business Communicators (ABC) status, applicants must meet education and experience requirements, submit a portfolio that includes work samples with measurableexaminationoutcomes, and pass both written and orals.
Design language and processes are being adopted by business schools and the media, but graphic designers are on the sidelines compared to other professionals with accreditation and respected designations.
From back-room laborers to the rise of ‘design thinkers’ and creatives as business leaders, it’s finally time for graphic designers to achieve professional status?
3,000 members1,500 studentsOver 800 are fully-accredited having passed our exam700 are provisional members, gaining work experience