Why I’m In The DIA

Great Reasons to Join

Joining the DIA enhances your design career. Being a member of your professional body tells people that you're serious about design. It indicates your status as a business professional with valuable industry skills.

Position yourself for success

Whether you’re an experienced professional designer, a recently graduated designer, or a student - membership of the DIA is a vital way of distinguishing yourself to clients and employers and positioning yourself for success in your profession.

Weigh up the extensive benefits; the DIA’s membership fees are excellent value for money. There's a sliding scale to suit different classes of membership and different needs for services and benefits.

And if you’re a practising designer or design business professional, your DIA membership fees should be a fully deductible tax expense*.

*Check with your tax advisor for individual advice.

Tangible benefits

The following list of benefits grows and changes as new initiatives are taken by the DIA National Council, the National Office, Practice Groups and various DIA state working parties.

DIA membership benefits include:

Information
Career Building Networking
Practice Notes
Seminars
Fees & Salaries
Events
Referral Service to New Clients
Business Information
Discounts
Continuing Professional Development
Professional Recognition
Industry Promotion
Accreditation
Insurance
Awards
Magazines
Conferences
Employment Service
Status
International Links
Lobbying
Colourways
Committees
Web Services

Information

Stay up-to-date with your profession. The DIA provides you with information on design practice, the business of design, news, events and products.

Information is provided via our publications, email updates, newsletters, through the website and through events and Practice Groups.

There’s a ‘Members Only’ section to the website that gives members privileged access to selected offers, information, forums, fee and salary data and much more.
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Networking

Many of the most valuable benefits of membership result from participation and networking with your professional peers from your own and other disciplines.

Interaction with other designers is an important part of a multidisciplinary professional body, and can be extremely valuable for your business connections and professional skills.

Members from other disciplines and areas of industry can become important sources of work and professional referrals.

As Australia’s only multi-disciplinary professional design body, DIA membership gives you unrivalled opportunities to meet and work with designers from other areas.

As a DIA member you’ll have many opportunities for contact and networking at local, national and international levels.

The DIA’s membership of the peak international design bodies IFI, ICSID and ICOGRADA, and its affiliation with other industry bodies, gives you access to designers, design events and information from all over the world.
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Practice Notes

DIA Practice Notes are a vital business and design resource for every professional designer.

The DIA has an ever-expanding list of Practice Note topics relevant to each design discipline.

These include the annual fees and salary survey, legal contracts, industry issues, intellectual property briefs, tendering procedures and many more.

The complete set of DIA Practice Notes is supplied in a sturdy ring binder and is provided free to eligible DIA members. Updates are supplied annually.

Student and Graduate DIA members receive a discipline specific set of Student Notes of great value to their study and future careers.

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Seminars, site visits, presentations, lectures & forums

A wide range of interesting and informative design activities is continually arranged through DIA State Branches.

What is offered differs from state to state, and depends on local interests and resources. Check out the State Branch pages for more information.

Join up, let your DIA State Council know what interests you, and get it happening.
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Fee and salary information

To keep its members up to date with changing industry fees and pay rates, the DIA undertakes an annual survey of fees, salaries and percentage rates throughout the design professions.

This valuable information is distributed free of charge to eligible DIA members as a Practice Note and as an on-line resource.
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Events

The DIA plans and partners numerous design events each year both at a state and national level. These include conferences, exhibitions, design promotions and awards.

An overview of events is published yearly in the DIA Events & Resources guide.
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Designer referral service

As a core benefit to Members, the DIA maintains an online database of DIA Members and their areas of specialisation.

Customers from the public or business communities looking for design assistance are directed to DIA designers with expertise in the required area.

This online referral service is actively promoted via advertising, the DIA website and through a number of DIA publications.
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Business information

The DIA provides information on business practice and operating a design consultancy through its Practice Notes and via articles and reports.
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Member discounts and special offers

The DIA negotiates discounts and special offers for members on items such as design magazine subscriptions, events, books and software.

This information is made available to members via email and through the Events & Resources guide.
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Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

The DIA's CPD program is an annual assessment process that promotes continued learning as a key element of professional design practice and leads to the status of Accredited Designer™.

The purpose of CPD is to ensure professional members of the Design Institute maintain the highest possible standards of practice through a commitment to continued learning.
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Professional recognition of designers

Your membership in the DIA and the use of the letters patent MDIA or FDIA, when entitled, indicates your professional status to the design, public and business communities.

Compliance with the DIA CPD program entitles you to the additional status of Accredited Designer™.

Representation to government and industry is constantly made at state and national levels to build the status and reputation of all DIA members. The DIA has been at the forefront of initiatives to increase the use and status of designers since 1947.
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Industry promotion

The DIA maintains an annual stream of promotion about the aims and values of the professional body and the design professions to reinforce the professional standing of members to industry.

A range of printed and online design publications, including brochures and industry briefs are produced.

The Referral Service provides industry with a contact point for introductions to DIA designers.
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Accreditation

Members who comply with the DIA CPD requirement can further enhance their status as a DIA member by becoming an Accredited Designer™.

The term Accredited Designer™ is becoming increasingly recognised as a point of differentiation in the design market. It indicates a commitment to continued learning and professional standards.
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Professional insurance

Where appropriate the DIA negotiates preferential rates for DIA members with insurers or determines insurers who have an understanding of the requirements of design consultants.

For current details please contact the DIA National Office.
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State and national award programmes

The DIA supports, endorses, participates in, or organises a portfolio of design award programs at both national and state levels.

These include the prestigious national Interior Design Awards in conjunction with DesignEX and Artichoke, the Australian Design Awards endorsed as the national design promotion program, the Queensland Design Awards, the Western Australian Design Awards, the South Australian DIA/Laminex Group Awards, and the popular national DIA Student Design Awards.
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Newsletters and magazines

Always full of valuable information and ideas, the DIA provides a range of newsletters and publications for its members.

Spark is the DIA’s national newsletter, produced three times per year and provided free to all DIA members. It contains the latest news, designer interviews, awards and other items of interest to DIA members.

Artichoke, a substantial quarterly design magazine produced by Architecture Media, is endorsed as the official magazine of the DIA and is provided free to all DIA members.

The DIA has also negotiated DIA member discounts on a range of other design magazines including Curve, DG, Architecture Australia and Houses.
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Conferences

Conferences are a valuable way to access information, network and participate in professional development.

From time to time the DIA plays host to the international design community. For example Sydney Design 99 was Australia’s turn to be host to the joint congresses of all three international design bodies; ICSID, IFI and ICOGRADA.

You can attend popular long running annual and biennial events such as the DIA WA Forum and South Australia's Xperiment Design Conference.
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Employment service

The DIA provides free listing of employment opportunities in member businesses throughout Australia on the website and in the weekly email newsletter. More information is available from the DIA National Office.
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Status

You can display your status as a DIA professional designer in your place of business, on your website, in business directories, your business card and your car. It reassures customers that you are a qualified professional.

Use your DIA membership card to access fee reductions and special offers in a variety of areas.
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International links

The DIA’s membership of the peak international design bodies IFI, ICSID and ICOGRADA, and its affiliation with other industry bodies gives you widespread access to designers and design events all over the world.
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Lobbying

DIA directors and Members are involved around Australia communicating and negotiating with state governments and the Federal Government on matters of interest to the design professions.

The DIA makes submissions to enquiries and government committees working on design related issues.
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Colourways Australia

Colourways is a valuable colour-planning initiative from the DIA.

Its objective is to accurately forecast colours, materials, finishes and trends to benefit members and assist in the design, development and manufacturing of products and services.

This special interest group offers an opportunity to meet with colour decision makers to forecast, analyse and exchange global colour information of relevance to the production of products, human environments and services.

DIA members receive a preferential, reduced subscription rate.
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Participation on committees

As a DIA member, you can gain knowledge and contacts to build your career and further your interests in the design professions by participating in one or more DIA or external committees at a State or National level.

The DIA is regularly approached by government and industry bodies looking for representatives to provide input into planning and policy.

There is also a wide range of DIA activities constantly seeking input from creative, motivated designers. This is an ideal opportunity to benefit yourself and others in the design community.
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