Focus on Benefits: Opportunities to support emerging designers

RGD Membership has its privileges! As co-chair of the Membership Committee, I want to share some of the amazing resources and benefits that Membership provides and encourage RGD Members to take advantage of them. If you’re not an RGD Member yet, now’s the time to join! 

One benefit I want to highlight is the ability, through the RGD, to support emerging designers through various RGD programs.

As with all giving, you get something back. You’re guiding and ushering in designers who are new to our industry in a way that supports professionalism and ethical practice. You can find a fresh sense of inspiration by seeing the amazing work that new practitioners are coming out with (sometimes with your help as a mentor). Not least, your contributions are highlighted on your RGD profile page, and you can even use them to boost your profile and/or business through social media. And it just feels good! 

I’ve personally done virtual portfolio reviews and have been a judge for past RGD Student Awards. I am consistently wowed and inspired by the quality of work and the creativity of  new designers coming into our field. Emerging designers receive valuable feedback, giving you a chance to boost someone’s spirits, share your knowledge and advice and spur them on.

There are also plenty of Student and Associate RGDs in need of mentorship. The RGD has a more traditional mentor-mentee pairing program where you work one-on-one in a way that suits you both over 6-8 one-hour sessions. The Project-based Mentorship Program, launched in January 2024, sees a Certified RGD act as creative director, with Associate RGDs as art directors/project managers and 1-2 Student RGDs doing the design and production. Each team works on a mock project (proposed by the Certified RGD or provided by the RGD). The results from the first round were truly impressive.

You can also guide someone working to get their certification through the RGD's Certification Mentorship. I have found this to be a particularly rewarding process.

“The mentorship and guidance I received through the RGD gave me the confidence to run my studio! I am happy to share my knowledge and excited about future possibilities.”

Jennifer Taback RGD

The RGD also offers Virtual Career Week three times a year, where you can mentor and review the portfolios of emerging designers. 

If you’re a Certified RGD, go ahead and sign up to do a virtual portfolio review, be a mentor, or judge the 2025 Student Awards. Sharing your hard-earned knowledge and advice with emerging designers not only helps them but also helps you and our profession at large. And hey, humble-bragging is not so bad!