During the month of September, AIGA is offering a special discount for all who join as student members: the $95/year student rate has been reduced to just $50/year. There’s never been a better time to join AIGA. Here are some of the reasons why you shouldn’t wait for this deal to pass you by.
1. PERKS
“Membership has its privileges,” as the old commercial goes, so let’s get the immediate good stuff out of the way. AIGA members get discounts on Adobe and Apple products, discounted access to Shutterstock’s stock library, Lynda.com’s tutorial library, and others. Plus, AIGA student members get by far the biggest discount when registering for national AIGA design conferences, such as next month’s PIVOT in Phoenix, AZ. As a Houston member, you get a 15% discount at DOMY Books, and there are even more Houston-exclusive deals currently in the works – some of which will be exclusive to student members.
Best of all, AIGA student members always get the best deals on AIGA Houston events – speakers, socials, workshops, film screenings, and even our Portfolio Review event in April. Many of our events are FREE for student members, and there’s no better deal than free.
2. CONNECTIONS
Being an active AIGA student member is a great way to get a leg up on the job hunt once you’re out of school. The more events you go to, the more opportunities you’ll have to connect with senior staff and studio heads of some of the best employers in Houston for designers. You’ll also become friends with other working designers who will often recruit from among their friends when their bosses are hiring. Best of all, you’ll become a part of a nation-wide network of designers, developers, photographers, illustrators and copy-writers. So in addition to having a great network within Houston, if for some reason your career takes you outside of Houston, your membership will go with you. There are 66 chapters nationwide with more on the way, so you’ll never be without a community to call your own.
On that note…
3. COMMUNITY
We’re YOUR people. The ones who geek out about typefaces, and watch Art & Copy a dozen times, and bounce ideas off of each other when we’re hammering out our latest project. In short, the AIGA Houston community is where the people who get you congregate. Our design community is one of the friendliest you’ll find anywhere. We’re not just a bunch of professionals who “network” together – we’re friends, colleagues and co-conspirators. As a member, you’ll contribute directly to that community as an insider, and through your participation, you’ll help shape the direction our community takes in the years to come. Most of all, it’s just a hell of a lot of fun.
4. EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL ADVANCEMENT
In recent years, we’ve increased the number of workshops we’ve provided to our membership. 2012 and beyond will be no exception. Members will have exclusive access to various AIGA Houston workshops, covering topics from the web and industry-standard software applications to professional standards and design philosophy. Beyond that, if there’s an area of design you’d like to become more proficient in, AIGA Houston can help you connect with someone right here in Houston willing to help you sharpen your skills.
5. INVESTMENT
We put a lot of effort into making the Houston design community the best it can be. We fly in guest lecturers, host workshops, arrange socials, and promote the design profession within the greater-Houston area and beyond. NONE of that would be possible without your support. Through your membership, you’re directly contributing to our efforts to make Houston a world-class design city, and the more members we have, the more we can accomplish. Members can also directly contribute to our agenda and calendar. Is there some great design event or initiative you’d love to see brought to Houston? As a member, you can make it happen.
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Heard enough? Good. JOIN AIGA HOUSTON TODAY by visiting AIGA.ORG/JOIN.
Still have questions? Send them to education (at) houston.aiga.org.
FORM AN OFFICIAL AIGA STUDENT GROUP
If you’re a student in a program that doesn’t already have an official AIGA Student Group, NOW is the perfect time to start one. All you need is a faculty member willing to be your advisor and 10 fellow students as AIGA members to get one started. If your school already has a graphic design-themed club or group, no problem – turn that group INTO an official AIGA student group! For more information, click here.
Contact me, Andy Rich, at education (at) houston.aiga.org if you need assistance in getting your group going. Remember – this membership drive ends Friday, September 30 2011 – so act fast!
