Should There Be A Design Certification?
Written on April 29th, 2010 by Hammonds Oen
Written on April 29th, 2010 by Hammonds Oen
Chartered Society of Designers
The discussion about some type of professional accreditation/certification for designers has been ongoing since the mid-90s. The advent of the computer and intuitive design software has created an influx of untrained, low-cost “desktop publishers” that are creating unsatisfactory (this is the most professional descriptor I can come up with) work in all areas of design. But until now, we’ve relied on design schools to weed out those who probably should be doing something else.
Now, the Chartered Society of Designers in the United Kingdom, an organization similar to the American Institute of Graphic Arts in the U.S., has submitted an application to the British government to approve a system of certification for designers. The CSD itself already has an invitation-based certification program for its global membership (graduate, master and fellow) but it is not recognized or supported by any government. The new charter status they are proposing would put designers on the same level as CPAs and engineers.
CSD will accredit a range of competencies, creativity being just one. Assessment would be done by “peer review of designers qualified in their field.” There will be no insistence on any degree in any discipline: “a set of competencies need to be demonstrated–how designers come about those competencies is up to them.”
One of the biggest arguments for the certification is that it helps eliminate or reduce the number of cut-price merchants. It will no longer be a profession that anyone can do. It can also provide a level of service that is guaranteed by a chartered service.
In contrast, many designers believe that certification will make design too exclusive and that the assessment criteria and process would be based on the selection of an exclusive few. Further, the reason goes, the number of clients who care about good design is small compared to clients that just want a design at a low cost. Certification could also exclude designers that do not have the degree but have the right sensibility of creating good design.
The Society of Graphic Designers of Canada offers a nationally recognized certification. A designer with the MGDC/LGDC designation is recognized across Canada as a highly qualified professional with an excellent standard of work and ethical business conduct. According to their site, the certification offers a “pre-qualification” for prospective employers or contractors, a justification to higher hourly rates, and exclusive access to government projects.
I emphasize “recognized” because although it is accepted across the country, there is no legal proceeding for removing certification from an individual. Policing is done only by the professional organization. Also, if a designer’s certification is removed, they can still practice design. This is similar to an accountant that may not have a certificate, but can still prepare taxes and financial plans–they just can’t sign “CPA” next to their signature.
In a perfect world, certification would be a good way to boost the quality of education and work in design and advertising. But in reality, this is something that would take a long time and face many practical hurdles to implement. As designers, we should probably concede that some work–the desktop publishing variety–just doesn’t require a great deal of chops, and there are people out there perfectly suited to do that type of work.
Scott Oliphant wrote: Designers (as a group, which i am part of) often overlook the fact that most non designers don't understand the value of high quality design or even the difference between something done well and something done poorly. A conversation with a family member on what I do often reminds me of this. We in the industry could all do a better job of explaining why something that costs many times more is a superior product, even if it seems obvious to us. It's not enough to just say it's better because we're designers or certified. We have to be careful not to perpetuate the "graphic designer snob" stereotype, or make ourselves seem somehow unapproachable. Our profession is based on communicating ideas, we should be able to communicate why we are relevant.
Thursday, April 29th 2010 at 4:23 pm |Tony Beardmore wrote: I absolutely agree with you. It is a difficult position to be in, loving what you do and taking great pride in it while those uninvolved in the field take it for granted. To be able to communicate more clearly what makes a superior design product would be a great blessing.
Friday, April 30th 2010 at 9:49 am |John Long wrote: "We have to be careful not to perpetuate the "graphic designer snob" stereotype, or make us seem somehow unapproachable." Yeah, Scott. You really need to work on that.
Monday, May 3rd 2010 at 4:06 pm |Scott Oliphant wrote: Awesome grammer scott, well done.
Tuesday, May 4th 2010 at 12:20 pm |