The First Rule of RGD

Thinking outside of the box is overrated.

Obviously this is a deliberately provocative statement, but I have often felt that too many people are encouraged to break out of the ordinary in all projects. Imagination and creative thinking should be self-evident requirements to even call yourself a designer. What would be helpful would be some clear and obvious rules to follow.

The Registered Graphic Designers of Canada have established a set of well-considered rules to live by. By adhering to the spirit of these rules we can not only grow our design career, but we can also avoid being sued.

Responsibilities to the Organization

The first rule of Design Club™ is to keep the Design Club™ alive and respected. This rule asks the members of RGD to act with maturity and legality always. It asks we remember that together we all achieve more by reminding the unenlightened of our skills. One way to do this is by remaining knowledgeable of the laws both within Canada as well as any other country in which we may work.

This rule also asks RGD members to always be truthful about their status in the organization. As a member, we should always display our affiliation wherever appropriate. We promise to pay our dues on time, and we will only display our credentials when we are a member in good standing. We also must disclose if our business is in bankruptcy.

As graphic designers, we are privy to client information. We must take every precaution to preserve their privacy, but we must also be prepared to share this information with an RGD inquiry. We trust that the RGD can ensure privacy for our clients and would only request the info if it is necessary.