Be heard, be counted. Design Census launches December 1, 2016

Google and AIGA are pleased to announce the inaugural Design Census — an open-source platform for understanding the complex economic, social, and cultural factors shaping today’s design practice.

It’s free and open to everyone, and the goal is to empower the design community to take charge of its professional development and happiness. Over the years, AIGA has conducted an impactful salary survey, the results of which helped define the value of design, and was shared among professionals across all design disciplines. This year, in partnership with Google, the survey broadens its scope and aims to capture information and insights beyond salary information — including work habits, lifestyle, education, professional development, and beyond.

Another unique component of the census is the accessibility to the data, open to the entire design community. We invite designers and organizations from around the world to take the data to interpret and publish their own reports, and even generate visualizations of the data results. The final data, reports, and visualizations will be displayed in an online gallery at designcensus.org for the global design community to share and ultimately gain insights to the growing role of design in the world.

To learn more about why designers visualize data and the types of visuals you can create using the Census data, reference this guide created by SOSO.

This is your chance to participate and become an active member of this community project. The census opens December 1, 2016 and closes December 16.

Until then, join the official census mailing list at designcensus.org to receive updates and information about the census. Don’t miss your opportunity to be heard, be counted, and be a part of this global effort!